Fostering friendships — a challenge for many homeschooling parents

Image by April Lamb-Hunter from Pixabay

• You are going to be responsible for putting your kids in environments where they can meet other kids. That intentionally does NOT read you are responsible for forming friendships for your children.

This is going to be a tough one for some of you (us) homeschooling parents. It is hard to find the balance between giving your child the opportunity to meet people and make friends and micro managing the emotional and social life of your kids.

If you have micromanagement tendencies (cough, cough, as I raise my hand), it is so tempting to think that it is your job to form the friendship for your child. Go talk to them. Say this. Invite them to go do this.

Every parent and child is different, so you and your children will have to find your own way on this (as with everything of value in life), but I would caution against taking the power of forming the friendship out of your child’s hands. It can be painful to watch your child struggle with loneliness. There is no “but” for that. It is painful, period.

If your child needs a game plan, that’s awesome. Play out some scenarios and help build your child’s confidence.

Another situation, not specific to homeschoolers, is when your child wants desperately to be friends with another child, and you dislike their parents. That’s a whole other discussion (and one I am not qualified to offer tips on. I just try to avoid them!!!!)