Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Homeschooling is Isolating

Before my kids were school aged our lives were filled with walks, parks, play-dates, Bible studies, YMCA trips and zoo outings. We were meeting new people and getting together with old friends all the time.

I was always available to hang out with my friends during the day- the kidless friends who had a day off or worked an odd shift as well as my friends with kids.

We also got together with friends in the evenings and on the weekends- after the kids were in bed.

But all that is no more.

Now we have school. Although I am fairly flexible and even though school doesn't take up that much time, I am still feeling the isolation a little bit. I can't just run around here and there because we need to get the schoolwork done. I can't just have people over every day of the week, because the school must get completed!

Yes, I have met new people this year. We go to a homeschool co-op thing and for my first time ever we are attending ECFE. We go to a gym class at the Y and we socialize during rockclimbing times. We go at least one place everyday.

But it is not quite the same.

The kids stay up later and it is harder to have people over after they go to bed because they aren't in bed at 7pm anymore. And yet they aren't quite old enough to manage themselves.

Granted, we do more stuff with the boys: puzzles, games, WII etc; but I kind of miss my friends.

I have friends who are home a lot and they are ok with that. They like it. I have friends who work from home and they like that. I have a friend who will not get into her car to go anywhere for days. And she loves that.

But not me.

Honestly, one of the reasons I was ok with going back onto the schedule at work is this isolation reason. I like my job, but I really love my coworkers. I like to be with people. And right now, it is good for me.

Even though I am sleep deprived.

Yes, even then.

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