I completely relate, and my kid has spent many years in a classroom. I think the most success we've had was just by going to regular homeschool groups in our community and becoming friends with the other regulars. I would also argue that a classroom is not always the best place to make friends. My daughter never really clicked with very many of her classmates, and she was constantly distressed and distracted by the disruptive kids, which made it even harder for her to connect with people. It also doesn't help that we live in a low income neighborhood where there aren't many kids to begin with, and those that are here are often unsupervised and completely out of control (not the kind of people you'd want your kids to be friends with anyway). We tried private school and had similar issues with entitled children and parents who literally cannot relate to low income people. I think the heart of the matter comes down to people just not wanting to make the effort. My suggestion would be to start with local homeschool groups and go from there. If that doesn't work, consider starting your own group, even if it's just a regular park day. Advertise it on a local social media page and see who shows up. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that other parents are looking for the same connections too. Good luck.

Hello there! I think you’re doing everything right. It’s natural to feel frustrated and or confused when other parents turn down an offer to stay connected. But don’t be discouraged! Socializing can be hard in this day and age. I would suggest looking online for other homeschool groups with kids your son’s age. Maybe one group exists the next town over, if you’re able to travel? Here’s another possible suggestion that doesn’t necessarily involve exchanging numbers. You might offer to say: “My son had a really great time! We come to this park usually on Tuesdays mostly at noon! I hope we can meet up again some time!” Giving the other party a vague time and place for a potential second meeting is less forward than exchanging contacts. Maybe that can come after a 2nd or 3rd meeting when you and the other parent have spoken more. Or maybe the parent you do connect with knows about other local kid play groups or get-togethers during the summer months? Keep reaching out and stay positive! You sound like a lovely person to be around and I am sure your kids are too!