I’m about to debunk this myth right now… It’s a common misconception that Homeschoolers are weird, socially awkward, and will inevitably lack the social skills required to be well functioning socially accepted adults. Our children (without a doubt) have more of a social life than we could ever hope to have at this point in our lives. I can confidently say that they are missing their sweet friends.
Don’t get me wrong before the quarantine, I was yearning for a break and believe me I more than welcome all this time at home but today I realized just how much they are missing their people. If your little ones are missing their people, I’m here to help! I’ve created a list of a few ideas to help them connect with their friends.
1. FaceTime/Video Call. My children love to give my family tours of their rooms and tell them about their toys via FaceTime. Arrow has been FaceTiming her cousins for a little over two weeks now. They play as if they are actually together it’s the cutest thing ever and seems to fill the void (for now) of missing out on girl time.
2. Video Mail. Record a Video saying hello and let your children send it to their friends (Mom or Dad’s phone/email). You can even add some flair by using a video editing app you can include filters, stickers, and transitions to make it really special.
3. Go old school and Write. Remember penpals? This can be especially useful for children that need more practice writing. Reach out to the parents of your children’s friends and get their addresses and encourage your child to write them a letter or send a drawing of what they’ve been up to. If you’re nervous about receiving mail see if their parents would agree to allow them to email each other instead.
4. Texting App. Download a texting app for children and see if their friend’s parents will agree to do the same.
5. Be There. Fill the void as best you can. Play with your children and talk to them about what they’re feeling.
This quarantine and social distancing have been an adjustment for introverts and extroverts alike. A few of my friends have mentioned how much of a struggle it’s been to try to explain to the little ones exactly why they can’t go to the park or the playground. Helping your children to connect with friends can help you with that. It gives them an opportunity to see that it’s not just your family in quarantine. It will also show them just how much they are missed. That they are not the only ones missing their friends but their friends are missing them too.
Until next time…
