Friends and Movies

On Friday we went to our first homeschool group activity: a movie day. We saw "Dolphin Tale." It was very good -- or, good, considering my low expectations! There was a workbook emailed to us by the group and we did most of the activities beforehand. Made seeing the movie much more fun. I highly recommend using it.
Dolpin Tale Workbook

As far as a socializing event, it was okay. We met a few people, but all in all, a movie theater is not a great setting for making friends. Gabby, William, and Fielding had a good time, though. William wanted to stay and watch it again!

When we got back, Bri had already arrived home from school. Bri is my 10-year old. She is in fifth grade at the elementary school. I felt a little bad going to a movie without her. I wonder sometimes if she's jealous that Gabby is being homeschooled and she's not. Her dad asked her that very question earlier in the week and she said she wasn't. Bri knows that she'll get her chance once she starts middle school. Still, I do worry about it. Gabby, not Bri, is the "squeakier wheel" in the family; I have to make a conscious effort to be sure everyone gets "greased."

I'd like to get involved with some of the homeschool organizations in the area. Gabs is so shy. I don't want her to miss out on opportunities to fine-tune her social skills, just because she's homeschooled. That was a down-side of this whole under-taking. I said to my husband, "She's so timid, how can we take her away from school? She'll have even fewer chances to overcome it."

He had a very wise response: "What is school doing for her now? Is being immersed in a classroom of 25 kids helping?"

The answer was nothing and no.

I've actually seen a difference in Gabby since we decided to keep her home. She seems to get less stressed out about social situations and is more willing to step out of her comfort zone. Homeschooling hasn't been a magic pill or anything, but it seems like she feels more relaxed. She's even done a little bit of public speaking at church. The youth leaders there have been very supportive of her. It is comforting to me to have leaders who accept a shy child, but still find ways for her to contribute, develop her talents and feel important. That's what I try to do for her at home.

Today was a crazy day in our family. The house is messy and the boys -- well, there were several bathroom incidents that required attention. Ugh. I told everyone that Gabby and I were going to move out (jokingly). Since we've started homeschooling it has become abundantly clear how similar we are. We are both neat and well-organized. We are somehow very aware of the details of a situation but get the big picture as well. We "get" each other. And that is really awesome. I, like Gabby, am not a super social person. It is nice to have this built-in friend. And especially nice now that we get to be with each other so much more. It's hard to say for sure if homeschool, or anything I do for that matter, will really help Gabby become more confident socially. Regardless how that part of this experiment works out, I'm grateful for the friendship we're developing. I think she is too.