Worried About Socialization if You Homeschool?

If you will be homeschooling, have you been asked about your childrens’ socialization skills? Over and over again my family members, friends, and neighbours. The first question that people usually ask is what about socialization? As if families who homeschool live in a bubble, not interacting with anyone around them. As a homeschooling family, your kids will get the chance to interact with people of all ages, not only those that are in the same age group. How will your children learn to interact with others? The answer is everywhere – the library, grocery store, sports, cub scouts or whatever activities you decide to have them participate in. They just won’t be stuck in a classroom of 25 students of the same age. I don’t see the benefit of being crammed into a classroom of 25 students. You are not able to decide who your child plays with and they may come home having learned some unwanted behaviours from their peers. As a homeschooling parent, you will have to work a bit harder to allow your child to make new friends.

• Join a homeschool group and attend group activites
• Arrange play dates
• Make friends during their extra-curricular activities
• Join a homeschool co-op
• Make neighbourhood friends
• Volunteer in the community

People believe that homeschooling takes place in the home all day everyday from 9am to 3pm. However, learning can take place in the park on nature walks and on field trips. Homeschooled students interact with people of all ages and they are usually able to communicate very well with adults. Their main role models are their parents and the small group of children whom you allow your children to befriend.  Children are immersed in a secure and stable environment and are comfortable in their own self-image because they are not exposed bullying and peer pressure. Exposure to drugs, sex, and violence is kept at a minimum. Some people believe that kids should be exposed to bullying so that they can learn to deal with it. I don’t see the reasoning, children know when they are treated unfairly, I don’t see the need to purposely put them in that situation. Bullying doesn’t help anybody. Homeschoolers have siblings to fight and negotiate with but in the end families become closer while homeschooling because of that time spent together. See the other posts in my series – Ultimate List of Homeschooling Questions