Homeschool Socialization
You have decided you want to homeschool, but something is eating at you. I personally have come to despise this word, but let’s talk about it…Socialization.
Definition- The process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society.
Have you seen society lately? I’ll pass!
Still, my children making friends was my biggest concern when I took the leap. Really it was the only thing holding me back. I often wondered if I was making the right choice. If I was depriving them of something. The naysayers definitely didn’t help. I just couldn’t drown out the noise.
How will they learn to be kind or to handle conflicts with others?
How will they learn to be respectful and empathetic?
How will they learn to make friends?
When I really thought about it. School didn’t teach me any of those things, my parents did. As I contemplated keeping them in public school for socialization, I had to ask myself…Is this really what I want for them? To drop them off at a building with hundreds of people and hope friends find them and not the bullies? Just hope they meet the right friends who add value and good influence? Am I willing to ignore the countless reasons I have for doing this and cave for just one reason not to?
Oh how I wish I could get back the time I spent worrying and the time I spent caring what anyone else thought.
It’s just so ironic. Now that my children have experienced both worlds of education, if I was ever asked what my reasons for homeschooling are I’d say…
“Because of the socialization they received in public school” and it would be at the top of the list.
Homeschool has allowed for more meaningful interactions with a wide range of age groups. My children have become some of the most Social, kind, thoughtful and responsible kids you will ever meet. I believe that is because of homeschooling, not despite it.
I’ll admit it takes a little more planning, but there are many ways to keep your children interacting with others. Here are just some of the ways you can do it.
Ways to increase homeschool socialization
- Join a homeschool co-op.
- Summer camps
- Join a local sports team. You can even find ones just for homeschoolers.
- Boys/Girls Scouts
- Join 4-h
- Go to the library. Most libraries have recurring events for kids.
- Volunteer
- Go to the neighborhood park often
- Participate in church youth group
- Extracurricular activities: Martial Arts, Dance, Music, etc.
- Community college classes for highschoolers.
- Join Homeschool FB groups. You can find events and playdates in your area.
- Look for children’s programming at local museums, zoos, art galleries, nature centers, or aquariums. Some even offer homeschool days.
Making the decision to homeschool is tough and making connections isn’t something any of us take lightly. A simple blog post on the internet won’t be enough to quell that fear, but I’m honored to be a part of your research.
