Harriette Cole: Is this a bad reason to homeschool my daughter?

DEAR HARRIETTE My -year-old daughter just now urged me if she could be homeschooled and her reason altogether broke my heart She reported me that she doesn t have any friends at school She announced she s tired of spending every recess and lunch period alone watching the other kids laugh and play in their groups while she sits by herself She made it clear that no one is bullying her or being outright mean According to her the other kids aren t interested in the same things as her and because of that they don t invite her to play or talk She announced it s like she s invisible and that going to school each day makes her feel sad and left out It was hard to hear that and I ve been turning it over in my head ever since I don t want to dismiss her feelings and I want her to know I take them seriously I also worry about taking her out of school too hurriedly I m torn between wanting to protect her from this sadness and wanting to help her work through it in a way that builds resilience and social skills Would homeschooling really be the best option or is there something else I should try first Homeschool DEAR HOMESCHOOL Talk to your daughter s trainer or the school s guidance counselor about strategies to integrate her into social life there Enroll her in extracurricular pursuits that she finds fascinating to boost her social engagement Consider moving her to another school before bringing her home If you do decide on homeschooling make sure you have the time and patience to teach her To learn more about how to begin homeschooling visit hslda org post -simple-steps-to-start-homeschooling Know however that even if you take this step you will still need to make every effort to find tactics to get your daughter to interact with kids her own age so that she can develop the social skills she will need in life DEAR HARRIETTE I volunteer at my local humane society every weekend and over the past several months I ve developed a real connection with one of the cats there Her name is Marbles and she has been at the shelter for more than a year now She has had a rough past and she can be a bit aggressive at times especially around strangers or loud noises but there s a deep sadness in her eyes that breaks my heart Despite her tough exterior she s really opened up to me and I can tell she trusts me I really want to adopt her but my boyfriend is entirely against having pets He says they re too much responsibility and mess and that it would make our apartment feel chaotic We ve talked about it several times and he hasn t budged I understand where he s coming from but I can t stop thinking about Marbles and how much she demands a stable home and someone who truly understands her It feels like I m abandoning her every time I leave Related Articles Miss Manners I skipped a party for a colleague I don t like Should I have lied about why Dear Abby She s refusing to have a gorgeous wedding like her bridezilla sister s Asking Eric I was demoted and I don t know how to deal with the whispers Harriette Cole My sister won t call me back and I have no idea what s wrong Miss Manners I don t like what strangers say about my kids and my husband I m torn between respecting my relationship and doing what I feel is right for this cat who s already been through so much Is there a way to make this work without causing serious tension at home Love That Stray DEAR LOVE THAT STRAY As torn as you are it would be unfair to the cat to bring her into a home where she isn t welcome The animal has already been traumatized by whatever happened in the past The best you can do is love her when you are there with her and keep your eyes open for someone who may be the perfect person to take her home Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams You can send questions to askharriette harriettecole com or c o Andrews McMeel Syndication Walnut St Kansas City MO