I think a good balance is important. I work in the evenings, but my parents help out with transportation. My son goes to Royal Rangers of Weds. (like boy scouts). He also regularly meets with one friend on Thursday or Friday. Then there are the unscheduled visits to friends whenever. Of course, some are too far away to see too often, while others are close enought to walk to. We go to church on Sunday mornings and my nieces and sister sometimes come over at various times. I think it is great. My parents and my son eat dinner together every night, and I join on my days off. I certainly don't believe every kid needs to do this and that and that. My son has been on two sport teams: bowling when he was 7 (really not a "team" just fun) and football when he was 9), but I don't push.
A lot. More than I did as a kid, so to say. Beside school, they meet with friends, join in groups and, of course, they use internet to keep in touch and communicate. I don't imply this last solution is the best, but I think they have to stay open and the online social communities are a good solution. Lloyd
Welcome, Lloyd! My oldest joined Facebook this past summer; that's how she keeps in touch with her camp friends. (Her dad and I ALSO joined Facebook; that's one way we keep track of HER, lol!) You remember how it was with girls talking hours on the phone? Well, Rachael is NEVER on the phone (a non-cell phone family!), but she'd be on FACEBOOK hours on end if we let her!
I am on a really tight budget, so we don't do much, but I think my kids get plenty of socializing! Sun-- church for both services in the morning (because DH and I are involved in worship team), prayer meeting at night Mon-- prayer meeting Tues-- babysit a friend most of the time Wed-- visit my mom (and socialize with my sister's kids), library storytime/activity Thur-- stay home Fri-- family day with all 4 of us, usually Busch Gardens or Sea World.. sometimes the park Saturday-- grocery shopping/other family activities Since I'm not officially homeschooling yet, I haven't joined any groups, but I really like the fact that I'm not tied up in all sorts of things that cost me money, and penalize me if my children miss! I will be starting to teach my oldest piano, probably this summer, just to see if she takes a liking to it. Other than that though, I think they get plenty of socializing at church. Right?
We are also homebodies. We go to story time on Wednesdays at the library. Also we hit the library at least one other time every other week. We go to the grocery store a couple times a week. Now if you mean socializing with other kids, then all the time. I have 2 older kids in ps and that have friends over all the time. They also have younger brothers and sisters who come over and play with my little one. Then we have some cousins who come over. Then in spring we have tball and soccer and in the fall it is just soccer. In the summer my house is a revolving door for kids in and out of all ages. As far as adult interaction he gets that daily, with grandpas, uncles, neighbors, people at post office, people who we pass on our walks. He is a chatter box and will talk to anyone! I am the one who prefers to keep to myself.lol In my eyes socialization is not only limited to the activities you go to, it is our daily life. It is talking with me in the morning or on the phone with his aunt. Now that is just me and others my see it different.
I forgot to mention that when my kids were your children's ages we did really NOTHING outside the house, other than groceries. I think having a full nights sleep, help with the housework, kids old enough to help look after each other, buckling their OWN seat belts, and do some independent school work helps so much!
We are total homebodies as well. Currently we are in no scheduled outside activities. I told him he can pick one thing to do in the summer. Other than that we go to the local park whenever it is nice out and the library at least once a week! I think that is enough for 7. He is the kind of kid who needs a lot of down time, without other people so this works for us.
my oldest daughter will be joining 4-H tonight and my youngest is in soccer. They both plan on doing softball..... we dont run and do alot either but they actually wanted to do these things so i was all for it.
thank you so much ladies, this is so helpful and reassuring to know dh has hit the roof about all the groups we do! so i am cutting back, is this okay? or still too much? mon - free. tue - trampolining for dd1. free all day till 4pm. wed - twice monthly spanish club. free all morning till 2pm. thurs - twice a month craft art group. gym for ds. fri - sport and our own home group. sat - family day. sun - family day. Is this better? dh also pointed out how much gas is costing and how much all the groups cost each!!!
YOU and your husband are the only ones who can decide if it's "OK". As you see, some of us are constantly going, while others stay home almost all the time. Both are perfectly acceptable, based on the individual family's goals and lifestyle. Your husband has requested you to cut back, so you've tried to do that. Is he satisfied now? If you feel the kids need to be involved in things, you need to discuss it with him. What is "perfect" for one hs'er is the worse thing possible for another!
Sunday- Sunday School/Church Mon- Home all day then Library and Ballet 4-6 Tues- Home all day occasionally Dinner/Kids club Church-Once a month Co OP Wed -Home all day - Gymnastics for both 5-7 Thursday - Stay home day, or park/playdate/field trip with other HSers Friday - Groceries and home Sat Family day Summers = no ballet and spent mostly at community pools and fountains with other friends. DD-7 DS-4
Hi Jackie, Facebook indeed. And many forums and blogs, and, of course, online gaming. They all seem to work. As for your tracking solution, that's fun ). Never thought of that, really. ------------------- Lloyd officedeskreviews
Huh. I guess we do way too much! But we don't feel stressed because we have our rhythm down. Also, I can leave my older ones home to finish work. They are pretty good at recognizing when they need to stay home to work. My 2 younger ones swim, which is a very intensive, time consuming sport. We have one, sometimes 2 activities per day. My dh is very good about helping to shuttle kids and we carpool. And we still eat dinner together 6 days a week. I will say that there have been times in my life when it just wasn't feasible to do so much. When the kids were younger, packing everyone up so one could take a class or do an activity was a bit much, especially when I would have to entertain the other 2 at said activity. I think everyone has their own tolerance levels for how much outside activities.
Lloyd, what was funny was when she was looking over my shoulder, and saw a friend of mine. This is a woman from PA that use to be a member here. Rachael gave me this funny look, and asked, "HOW ARE YOU A FRIEND OF MY FRIEND IN PA'S FRIEND?" Seems she saw my friend Heidi posted on Ashley's wall. I started questioning her about Ashley, and then laughed. Ashley (whom she met looking for reviews on a certain book, and came across her blog) happens to be Heidi's daughter, AND the girls have ACTUALLY MET in real time when they were younger! A group of us had gotten together in Hershey, PA a few years back. I was able to show her a picture of her and Ashley together!
WAY TOO MUCH! LOL Mon - home until Karate at 5:15 (DS) Tues - home until Gymnastics at 5:00 for oldest DD Weds - every other week, coop home after 1, Karate & ATP 5:15 - 6:30 for DS Thurs - every other week, science coop; gymnastics for both girls Friday0 home until Gymnastics for oldest DD. Saturday - family Sunday - family I do try to squeeze library in once every couple weeks, but doesn't always work! just found out we're going to Please Touch Museum on Tuesday. A good friend invited us. I rarely like to go into the city, she's going to drive, she gets free parking, and she can get 2 of us in for free, and the other two for $10....so what would normally be a $65 day, will be $20 YAY!
Especially with the new one on the way, keep it simple! Before I took my eldest out of K to homeschool him, he did half days in the afternoons, and I was always needing to wake the baby up from his naps. I hated doing that, and felt like no matter what I did, I was failing one of my kids! Also, I think if your kids get entertained too often, they'll lose the ability to entertain themselves and expect to be taken out and about all the time.
I have this saying in my home: I either have my man or the van. He is either traveling and I have the van or he is working from home and I may or may not have the van because he is using it. When I was a child, my mother did not drive and my father hated anything to do with church. I had absolutely no extra curricular activities and there was only one girl in the neighborhood. My daughter has it better than I did in many ways; at least when I have the van we can go places. Socializing for my daughter happens with the 4-H club, church, and neighboring children.
Thank you all dh is happier with the new routine, but come the summer, he will change his mind, but so will I am sure when I cant walk and am on strict bed rest for weeks!!! x
Lol Jackie, that's funny all right. They're more adapt than we are. I guess this is how it should be. They're the ones to live in this eworld more than we did. Lloyd officedeskreviews
