Better yet, how about co-housing? You’d then live on land with a community who shares agreements, meals once or twice a week, and much more. Children benefit from this greatly. They learn to be with others in a way that offers intimate connection, agreements and practising strong communication. Isolated living, the norm in America and many other countries, is the way. It doesn’t work. I deeply yearn for co-housing.
Remember, parenting is a ton of work. Gorgeous, challenging work. In some ways, having an only child is more work, simply because you are the key playmate.
There’s no other kid for your kid to play with, and that means more need from you. So the more you can set up social joy and interaction for your family, the better off you’ll all be.
Yes, there are other challenges with homeschooling an only child, yet frankly, this is the one that is so massive it smacks me every day. So for now I’ll leave it here and wish you the very best in following your dreams.
In community, we thrive.
Jessica Rios, Founder of Leaning into Light, is a mother, lifelong letter writer, and eternal fan of Mr. (Fred) Rogers. This deeply personal blog and her free recorded conversations are devoted to one of her greatest passions: illuminating the beauty of the human spirit.
