Making Aliyah w/ a VERY Shy almost 8 year old.

amother

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 12:05 am

My son turns 8 late in the fall. He will be in 2nd grade. We are moving to a place in the North where there is no Anglo presence. Even the school didn't know what my DH was talking about when he asked about help from the government with tutoring.

Can anyone offer me some kind advice? My DH is worried about our son and how he'll do. Being extremely shy and all. Now I am too!!

blahblah

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 12:36 am

sign your kid up for something extracurricular where he'll be able to make friends through structured play - I.e. sports, martial arts, etc. that way its structured, unlike where at recess in school he'll be standing on the sidelines. it'll be good for his self esteem as well.
good luck and mazal tov on the aliyah!

amother

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 12:39 am

blahblah wrote:

That sounds like a good idea! I hope he'll be up for it/in to it!

hila

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 3:07 am

Can Nefesh benefesh find you an "adopting family" ? Preferably with a booy going int 2nd grade. At least then they can meet before school starts. And try and find one anglo kid in his grade to help him start off.

Where are you goig to be iyH? maybe thee is someone we know in that yishuv who can help .

Behatslacha

Veshavu banim ligvulam

PS if you want to be anonymous here - pm me and I can ask on the Israel forum

chanchy123

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 7:13 am

hila wrote:

OP if you have a concrete aliya date for the very near future PM one of the Life in Israel mods they might let you in even before you actually come. It would be helpful if you could give us a more specific local so some of us may be able to think of people we know who live there.

amother

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 11:18 am

chanchy123 wrote:

hila wrote:

My DH is there now setting up our apartment. The rest of us our joining him in 9 days!!! I planned to join the Israel forum when I arrived. I can be in touch with the mods early, see what they say!

I have so many many questions!!!

amother

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 11:20 am

Health is a Virture wrote:

find him an anglo friend that will be in his class that they could become friends before the school year begins and he can help him around. even for a not shy kid it can take a number of months or more to get acclimated, with the language and all.

I mentioned this to my DH and he's going to ask the principal if there is such a kid. That would be really great if there was.

amother

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 11:22 am

lech lecha08 wrote:

Something that was suggested when we were on our pilot trip was finding a Hebrew speaker to play Israel-style games, teach songs, etc in Hebrew before you make aliyah

That would have been a good idea! We leave soon so that won't work for us. But, maybe someone else reading will benefit from the advice.

blahblah

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 11:30 am

amother wrote:

blahblah wrote:

That sounds like a good idea! I hope he'll be up for it/in to it!

I wouldn't necessarily give him a choice....I would sign him up and tell him that's what he's doing - just like he doesnt have a choice if to go to school. he wouldnt understand the need....to him it may just seem overwhelming that he has to be around people again and if given the choice he would say no. if you sign him up and he goes and then he's miserable then you can let him stop....but I wouldnt ask him in advance

and this is coming from someone who was very shy and moved when I was 8 from israel to america with no language or hebrew speaking people in my class either....my parents signed me up for a local arts and crafts class (I was very into that type of stuff at the time) and it helped a lot. as far as kids at that age with the language - within a few months I was able to speak to the others at recess etc. it took a couple of years to catch up in school subjects like english spelling and reading but socially it was fine. he's young enough that, providing that you're moving to the right community for your family, he'll adjust really quickly

amother

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 11:38 am

blahblah wrote:

amother wrote:

blahblah wrote:

That sounds like a good idea! I hope he'll be up for it/in to it!

That is good advice!

Do any of the Israel moms know how I would look into that? Ask the school? Or another parent? The city??

He loves to draw, do arts and crafts....maybe I can find something for him. I guess we'll start with the school.

blahblah

Sun, Aug 09 2009, 2:21 pm

the school might be a good resource for you....tell them you're looking for extracurricular stuff that people from the school send to so they'll be familiar faces....but I would stick more to sports than to arts and crafts....arts could be good to as therapeutic for him, but it wont help a boy on the social front. I would find out what the kids in that area are into.....if its soccer, maybe sign him up for soccer, etc. so he has something to connect to the other kids with. arts and crafts was good for me but that's where the gender divide would come in...