Making Friends

Something good happened last Friday. We went to our second gathering of homeschool kids at the local park. This was my third time around some of the mothers and I'm starting to feel really comfortable with them--they are slowly getting to know Clayton as well. As we stood there visiting, I noticed all of the boys were sitting together on the soccer field. Clayton was sitting with me as usual, but I really wanted him to start branching out and being with the boys instead of the grown ups. But I also didn't know if they would be comfortable with him. So I asked the other mothers and they talked to their boys and reminded them of Clayton's needs. The boys were more than willing to include Clayton in their group (especially since he had brought his toy truck!). They walked with me to the van to get his chair, and from then on, they were on their own! Clayton said he did NOT want me to go, so I left them to themselves. It was wonderful watching them walk around the park, playing with the truck, and actually talking to Clayton. He, of course, got bossy and started telling them which way to go!

Making friends. Participating in real play. Building independence. This is what we wanted for him last year in preschool. But instead, he got to sit with the teachers all day long while the other kids did regular kid things. His two "friends" at school were actually his teachers. Still burns me up to think about it.

It's just another confirmation that homeschooling was the right choice for us. We're moving at Clayton's pace and we're meeting people who are welcoming us with open arms, no matter what the issues are that we bring to the table.