Only child challenges...homeschool

Some days I want to just run down to the local elementary school, enroll my son and demand him life-long friends. Then I come to my senses.

But still, it can be hard. He's an only child. That comes with many perks as well as many challenges. We decided to homeschool originally because we were in such a horrible school district. Let me just say, there were wild dogs roaming the halls. And so they put up a fence...but couldn't finish it. Now, tell me what good that would do? But that wasn't the only reason. We just like being together. We felt like we could do it, we would enjoy it and our family would thrive.

All of that...true. So true. It works for us. Sure, I get frustrated some days. I question myself all the time. I want to do the best, the very best, for my son. He loves his life and his school. But, I know, KNOW that sometimes he is lonely. No, not unsociable or weird. Just a little lonely.

For some reason, this side of town does not have the opportunities for getting together with other homeschoolers that we had when we lived on the OTHER side of town. Of course, we couldn't really afford that side of town so we rented a great place here. It's perfect for us except we didn't realize there were NO children in the neighborhood. None. And try as I might, I can't find homeschoolers to get together. I've thought of going to the North side of town but realistically that won't work. It's a good hour away and we are down to one car.

And all that makes me feel like a failure as a Mom. Am I ruining his life? Is he missing out on something special. He's not unhappy. He loves Church, did well at soccer and bonded with his team. But, they are all in public school and don't really seem to have TIME for us. Always running for brothers and sisters and school activities.

N. doesn't think he's really missing anything. He even told me if I wanted another baby some day I could wait until after he was grown up and I was "done" with him. I thought that was funny. He's not really interested in a brother or sister, thank goodness, since I can't give him one. We try to get together once a week with a new friend of his and he seems to think that is enough. I don't know why I feel like there should be more.

Maybe I just like creating problems for myself. Maybe we should just move back to the other side of town!