Has it been awhile since you've been the "new kid"?
As we began homeschooling this year, I determined to meet new people and embrace new experiences. That is easier for some people than others. While I don't mind introducing myself and beginning a conversation, I thoroughly enjoy myself at home and can always find plenty to keep me busy there.
Last week, our daughters and I went to a kickoff meeting for a homeschool support group I joined. We enjoyed conversation with one mom and her ten-year-old daughter, but didn't have a lot of interaction with anyone else. Friday will be our first field trip with the support group and it will be interesting to see how it goes.
This is a valuable experience for our daughters in learning empathy. They are very comfortable at church [and previously at school], since they have attended both for several years. We've tried to teach them to reach out to visitors or new classmates by smiling, introducing themselves, finding out the names of the newcomers, and seeking to make them feel at ease.
Now that our children are the ones in new situations, I want them to understand how they are feeling and remember that in the future. Even as adults, we can get comfortable being surrounded by our friends and fail to reach out to strangers.
This is yet another life skill that we hope to develop in our daughters. Do you have ways to reinforce this concept with your children?
I am really not good in new situations - I'm working on getting better! My girls do okay, they are happy to run off and play as long as they can see me. Sophie is getting to the age where she'll talk to other kids - which is fun to watch :)
ReplyDeleteYou'll have a great time on the field trip!
Meeting new friends, comes easy to some but not to me, I am introvert and I rather have 1 close friend that I can share everything with then a tuns of friend I barely know :-)
ReplyDeleteWe are also working on this. I try to teach my daughters to look people in the eyes when they introduce themselves or say hello. For one daughter this comes naturally but not so much for the youngest. I also have little pep talks when we are in the car before we go somewhere and just keep practicing it. We even practice at home sometimes with each other :-) Hope you have a nice time on your field trip. I bet your girls are very excited!
ReplyDeleteJenn,
ReplyDeleteWhen our girls were younger, we also role-played situations at home. It might not be such a bad idea to do that again! Pep talks are good, too; we discuss smiling a lot when we are entering new situations.
We have more experience in this department than anyone could ever care to have, having moved 7 times in 11 years. We are ALWAYS "new". Thankfully I'm naturally out-going, and even though I was scared moving like this would scar my kids (my family settled my hometown in NC in the early 1700's - I never moved until I was grown & I'm the only one who's not there; I wanted my kids to have those same deep roots) it has solidified us as a stronger family unit, and it has made them SO friendly, out-going, & resilient! Total blessing in disguise!
ReplyDeleteSues,
ReplyDeleteLove how you have taken all those moves - which could be seen as a negative - and turned it into something wonderful and positive for your kids!
Not easy, but God's grace has really carried us through! :-)
ReplyDeleteTracey, ever since we moved just under a year ago, I have felt like that new kid. We came from an area with a very close knit small homeschool group. We entered an area with a local homeschool group that has over 500 families!! This weekend is the "Fall Picnic" ~ only I'm hesitant to go because we just joined this group and we know no one! So, now, I guess it's my turn to be pro-active and show my kiddos the best way to make friends is to go be one! (Still feeling a bit shy!) =)
ReplyDeleteI hope your field trip is wonderful tomorrow, and you and your girls meet a few new kindred spirits!
Katie,
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what we have here - a very large homeschool group. And, bad news on the field trip front for us - I have to go in for jury duty tomorrow! The girls were disappointed, but I told them that God arranges these things, so it will be for the best. We'll have to wait another month or two to join the support group on a field trip.
Hope you and your kids have a good time at the picnic and meet some really nice people!
I too encourage my DD to try to make a new person feel welcome. It helps her with her confidence and helps others feel at ease. :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!