Pretty sure that home-schooling ruined my son's life

[Phteven]

Just needed to say it.
I regret the time I home schooled my son so much
Academically he's awesome, socially, with his peers, he is inept.

[Calluna]

hugs honey. He may have been like that anyway. I went to a public school and am absolutely hopeless socially. Theres no way you can know it was caused by your choice to homeschool.

[Rowellen]

hugs honey. He may have been like that anyway. I went to a public school and am absolutely hopeless socially. Theres no way you can know it was caused by your choice to homeschool.

Me too. Public & Private schooling. Useless in social situations.

[Phteven]

Thanks. I just keep thinking that missing that first 6 months when all the other kids were sussing out the 'rules' of the playground really left him behind and he just hasn't caught up.

[Jaycee]

Don't beat yourself up

Was it just 6 months? If so, then it's no different to a parent holding their child back a year before starting school, I honestly don't think that amount of time would have such a huge impact.

You did what you thought was right for you and your child at the time. That makes you an awesome parent.

[Rowellen]

Playground rules change daily don't they? Who knows how you're supposed to act on any given day?! Some kids are always going to find it harder than others and I don't think that the method of schooling makes much difference. I know someone that was homeschooled for most of her primary school years and I think it has stood her well socially. She has learnt to go outside the comfort zone to make new friends. She is much more socially adept than me!

[Jennifer13]

Hindsight and all that... Pity that the toughest parenting lessons are those we get on the job.

[Arimeh]

I agree with the others - some kids just aren't great socially, but I think thats good, gives the other kids a chance to learn acceptance

I don't think you have done any damage to your son - at all.

I'm 36 and still socially awkward, and have more friends online than I do in real life. And I was never homeschooled (although I went to LOTS of different schools during the primary years so that could have attributed to that lol)

[Ginger]

I didn't know that you homeschooled? How long was it for? When?

[AnyDream]

As tempting as it is to feel guilty, I'm pretty sure 6 months is neither here nor there. Thanks to starting school in SA, my DD had 6 months MORE socializing than her peers & she was still hopelessly socially inept for longer than most of them. Sometimes it's just the nature of the beastie.

[Phteven]

I didn't know that you homeschooled? How long was it for? When?

First couple of terms of school. We were OS at the time and decided to teach him the NSW curriculum instead of enrolling in the local school.
Then we got back to Australia and the poor little man started after everyone else had formed friendship groups and sussed out the routines and so on so he missed all the orientation etc in the first few months.

I compare him to his little brother who went to pre-school and then started school with his pre-school buddies and he copes so much better with the social side of school (not with the academic but that's because of his ADD).

[MrsFabuloso]

How has he coped in school type environs before? Ie, at pre school? (Did he attend pre school?)

Is it just that he may be a person who is socially awkward? Or perhaps he just doesn't get along well with the particular peers in his class? Has his teacher said anything about how he is in class?

Is/Are there one or two kids who stand out as best friends? Maybe have very frequent play date with them all together (at parks/each other's houses/outings) to encourage the bond.

And FWIW, all children are so incomparable. Including siblings. Though most parents do it, they are all their own little people with their own quirks and strengths and weaknesses. Maybe your little man is just taking his time to find his niche.

[Ginger]

Don't beat yourself up over it. I agree that you really can't compare siblings to each other. They all have their own little quirks. I really don't think that 6 months would've had too much of an affect on him. Mothers guilt totally sux and is hard not to get caught up in though xo

[Ginger]

Have you thought about getting him some help with the social stuff? Giving him some skills/tools to work with?