How to Keep Homeschooling Fun for an Only Child

Homeschooling an only child presents unique challenges. Who will he or she play with when chores and lessons are done? How do you keep your child interested and challenged? Loneliness and boredom will make a person of any age likely to slip into a funk. There are ways to keep your child socialized and learning, however, even as a class of one.

First, you can engage your child in what you're doing around the house. Even young children can "help" with chores. In some cases, an older child can help you or work independently while you work from home - but do this only when your undivided attention won't make much difference. A younger child can have a blast playing "office" or doing arts and crafts with your supplies. As long as you don't mind some tasks taking longer (or a higher office supply budget!), there's no need to isolate your child in front of the TV while you get things done.

Have regular outings and involve your child in your errands. While the resources for learning at home are endless, there's nothing like real world learning to integrate and expand on lessons. Parks can become outdoor laboratories, and grocery shopping is a prime time for reinforcing money and math skills. If your child does coursework online, getting out of the house to use a library computer can make it easier for them to concentrate on learning. Take advantage of every reduced admission day you can find, and become a regular at your local museums, zoos, and libraries.

Another way to keep your child from getting bored is to find a homeschooling family whose interests and methods mesh with yours. You don't have to be a perfect match as long as you can work together to "co-homeschool" in some areas. Have your children work on similar projects, either together or independently. Peer pressure is a good thing in this instance!

Homeschooling will also be easier if you make an extra effort to socialize offline. Think of this like being a PTA mom. Even if you're not be a social butterfly, putting extra effort into building a social network will pay off for your child. If there's not an active homeschool group nearby, or if local meets are lacking, can you start one or contribute to building up something that already exists? Facebook and Meetup.org are two places to start to looking for a community, but don't forget about Yahoo and Google groups, homeschool forums or your church.

Even a bad weather day doesn't have to cut off an only child from his or her friends. You can take advantage of the many safe ways for your kid to socialize online. For example, Club Penguin and Free Realms are two games where kids can play with or against each other. Fusefly is a social network for homeschooled teens age 13 and up.Your child could even start a free blog, with your guidance, about anything they like. There's no shortage of ways for a kid to communicate and play online. Just remember to monitor each site's content and limit screentime.

Being your child's constant companion will be tiring at times, and sometimes you will just need a break from each other. Encourage your child to invite friends over, or seek out families that want to reciprocate visits on a regular basis. Bonus: getting your kid out of the house for awhile will help you recharge too. It's OK to need alone time without giving up sleep.

A little extra time and attention is all it takes to make homeschooling your only child successful and fun for everyone. Taking advantage of social networks - online and off - and learning opportunities outside the home is key to keeping it all together.