Kids don't like moving. Period. When they express their disinterest in our moving situations, you try to make things easier for them to understand the reasoning. It's hard seeing their little bodies so upset having to leave their friends behind. The fear in their eyes that they won't have any friends in our new town. Trying to reassure them that they will, they are young, and have plenty of time to make great friends.
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When I took my kids out of public schools, I had hoped that we wouldn't have to deal with bullies. We had our first neighbor situation a few days ago. Kids are mean. All kids. They're trying to learn how to navigate in a world that is as safe as it once was. When children are young, they don't understand that other children are influenced by others. One minute kid A is your "best friend" and the next, kid A is throwing punches at you because their kid B, C, D, and E don't like you for whatever reason. Then a few days later kid A wants to play with you again so you say "it's okay."
Well, it's not okay! The cycle of teaching your kid to be careful of who they are around is tough. Teaching my kids that it's not okay for their friends to bully them and it's not okay to tell them that it is. Kids don't want to hear it, they just want to be friends. I get it. But, as a parent, you don't want to see them getting hurt over and over.
I also learned that "your mom is so fat that she gave you freckles". Where do kids learn this crap?! You want to just shrug it off thinking, kids are kids, they don't know what they're saying. But, some people just need to teach their kids a little bit of respect.
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When I took my kids out of public schools, I had hoped that we wouldn't have to deal with bullies. We had our first neighbor situation a few days ago. Kids are mean. All kids. They're trying to learn how to navigate in a world that is as safe as it once was. When children are young, they don't understand that other children are influenced by others. One minute kid A is your "best friend" and the next, kid A is throwing punches at you because their kid B, C, D, and E don't like you for whatever reason. Then a few days later kid A wants to play with you again so you say "it's okay."
Well, it's not okay! The cycle of teaching your kid to be careful of who they are around is tough. Teaching my kids that it's not okay for their friends to bully them and it's not okay to tell them that it is. Kids don't want to hear it, they just want to be friends. I get it. But, as a parent, you don't want to see them getting hurt over and over.
I also learned that "your mom is so fat that she gave you freckles". Where do kids learn this crap?! You want to just shrug it off thinking, kids are kids, they don't know what they're saying. But, some people just need to teach their kids a little bit of respect.
I'm hoping that these kids will grow up and when we move back won't be such meanies. Neighbor bullies are the worst. Because you have to live down the street from them, ugh!
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We're hopeful that after we get moved there will still be slots open for joining sports and activities. But, with it being the end of the year, we may have to branch outside of sports and activities to meet friends. As a homeschool family, we have to be intentional. We'll join the local homeschool group, find a church, go to the library, enroll in the youth center, go to the parks and pools, and we'll find a great group of friends when we are patient.
Parenting is a tough gig, but I will protect my kids like the fierce mama bear that I am!
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We're hopeful that after we get moved there will still be slots open for joining sports and activities. But, with it being the end of the year, we may have to branch outside of sports and activities to meet friends. As a homeschool family, we have to be intentional. We'll join the local homeschool group, find a church, go to the library, enroll in the youth center, go to the parks and pools, and we'll find a great group of friends when we are patient.
Parenting is a tough gig, but I will protect my kids like the fierce mama bear that I am!
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