Hello!

I have been lurking around and feel brave enough today to introduce myself and hopefully be accepted into the community!

I have a DS 7 who has been grade skipped into 3rd grade. He took the WISC 4 and his score qualified him to apply to DYS so we are in the process of completing his application. We're not crazy about his public school so have been looking into other options. Options are very limited where we are, in PA, so we've found ourselves in a dilemma.

Besides being concerned about his schooling situation, he's an only and hasn't found many friends. He's accepted by the kids at school but doesn't seem to click with anyone to invite over or play with on the weekends. I'd love to homeschool him but socially, I think that would be a huge mistake for us.

He doesn't like any kind of praise or being singled out for his abilities. He's extremely musically talented, but won't perform in recitals because he doesn't want the applause of the other students. He threw the class spelling bee because the winner went on to the "final bee" at the high school, and he didn't want to be on stage. *sigh*

He's an amazing little guy and I just want to do what's best for him, but at this point I'm not sure what that is. I'm hoping to get plenty of ideas and advice from this forum. I've been getting so excited visiting the forum lately that I finally decided to come out of my lurk mode. Thank you for being here!

-Ziggy's Mom

Welcome! Sorry about your dilemma.

Welcome! Sorry to hear about your situation. But please don't rule out homeschooling. There are many, many socialization options with HS'ing. There are co-ops, meet-up groups, and all sorts of things like that. Do a yahoo group search for HS'ing in your area. Sometimes HS'ing is an even better way of socializing than public/private school where usually kids are grouped together by age.

Thanks for the welcome!

I've tried to find homeschooling/cyberschooling groups where we are (near Pittsburgh), but it seems the majority of groups are located near Philly. Besides the academics at our current public school, the behavior of the kids is appalling! We've visited a few Catholic schools, but were told they won't recognize his GIEP. We actually discussed moving to somewhere that would present more opportunities but haven't found such a place yet!

Hi Ziggy. Good luck with the DYS app.


Our DD9 has a personality like your son. She is well liked overall but *feels* bonded with few. She actually does better socially when she spends less time at school. FWIW.

I Googled "homeschool Pittsburgh," and here are the first few things that popped up:

http://homeschooling.about.com/od/pasg/p/pasgpaah.htm

http://www.parentzone.com/usa/penns...s/for-your-child/education/homeschooling

http://www.pahomeschoolers.com/calendar.html (Note that there's a homeschool workshop and curriculum fair on March 21 in Pittsburgh! I'll bet that would be a great place to go, ask questions and network!)

http://www.city-data.com/forum/pittsburgh/166135-pgh-south-hills-homeschool-cyberschool-group.html

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/regional/PennsylvaniaSupport.htm

http://www.nphep.org/

http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/homeschooling/Home_Schooling_in_Pittsburgh.htm

There's loads more links, but this seemed like a good start for you. I'll bet you dollars to donuts there's something in there that would work.

No pressure, but I'm with RJH that if the social thing is all that worries you, then I think you need to do more research before you rule out homeschooling.

You may still rule it out. That's fair. But not because there's nothing social available.

Thanks so much for the links! There's hope!

You all have already been a huge help because everyone around me only offers words of discouragement when I bring up HS'ing. I have no one here supporting the idea, only that I'm putting him in a bubble, and that he's already an only and that he needs the socialization of kids at school. I've visited his school a few times and it's not the kind of socialization I had in mind!

Looks like I have some more research to keep me busy. I admit, I pushed HS'ing to the bottom of the list but thanks for bringing it back for me as an option. I definitely have to get my husband on board. Do many opt for cyber schooling? We visited a few open house dates last year to some cyber schools but I wasn't completely blown away. Like I mentioned, my mind is a swirling mess right now and I really need to focus! It boggles my mind how someone as scatterbrained as me can be the Mom to a kid like DS.

Hi Ziggy. Welcome. We are currently homeschooling (inbetween negotiations with PS). I LOVE having my son home but struggle to keep up with him intellectually. We live in the tundra and being cooped up is hard. We also live in a rural area with little outing opportunities close by. Therefore we have started actively pursuing PT PS. I think we will be able to make that work. That way he can get some "socialization with normal society" and still have time to engage his intellectual side. I also have found that my son has a much stronger sense of confidence when we socialize together. Good luck with your son and quest!

**waves**

My DS5 gets along well with anyone he's around, regardless of whether they are older or younger, but he NEVER asks to have them over or go over there, etc... unless it's involving going to a museum or a learning environment or a fun zone (i.e., bowling). He gets as annoyed as I do by the kids' childish behavior (those that are around his age). So the only reason he asks to go somewhere is for his OWN satisfaction/adventure.

I do not homeschool, and because of various issues like my own ADD, the fact that I carry the medical insurance, etc, we have chosen not to go that route, but if you are able to, I would, especially in the early years. I live in a suburb of Atlanta, and I am truly amazed at how many HS networks there are around here, that are specifically focused in a 10 mile radius of my house. I'm sure you can find something to suit all of your needs.

I think at one time this "bubble" thing might have been the case. But nowadays, "homeschooling" probably ought to be called "carschooling!" We are NEVER home! There are so many opportunities for positive, healthy social time available that there's just no reason to be scared of homeschooling for social reasons.

And I didn't even list all the non-homeschool specific opportunities for a child to be social: YMCA classes (including art and science, not just sports), competitive sports teams, GT enrichment programs, time at the park, playdates, neighborhood play, etc. Even a trip to the store can be a chance to use good manners and practice small talk.

It is a bit more work to find time to be social than it would be if we simply put our children on the bus in the morning. But it's out there. And it's not at all hard to find!

Plus I think it pays to keep in mind that much of the school day in a bricks-and-mortar school is not social time. Some schools are better than others about group work and such, but a lot of schools are about sitting down and being quiet except during recess and lunch. That's how it was for my son, anyway. Not a lot of social opportunities there! Not really!

If you want to talk more, just post. There are a lot of HSers here so you can at least get some idea of what it's like from inside. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about homeschooling floating around out there. I'm all about pros and cons when making a decision, but I think it's better to get them from people who have some experience with the issue. You know?