It’s the first question your mother asks when you tell her that you’re homeschooling the children, and the first thing the alarmed grandmother who asks why your children aren’t in school and hears that they are homeschooled will say to you. “What about socialization?” you hear, and have to resist groaning.
The idea is an integral part of our society – that public school somehow socializes children to be responsible and well-behaved young adults. Anything threatening this idea is naturally alarming, so expect to confront hostility from others, and be able to answer the question succinctly enough to shut down anyone who is about to lose their temper at you.
Everyday meetings with others are a great opportunity to let your child socialize. This could be walking to the mailbox to pick up the mail (in a rural area), going to the grocery store, visiting neighbors, or another “ordinary” occurrence. These kinds of interactions are a great chance to teach them etiquette, how to interact with all kinds of people, and to respect everyone.
Weekly group activities are another way to let your children socialize with others. This could be an extracurricular activity like a sports league, art class, or or music lesson. You can find such activities through your municipal parks and recreation department, at local high schools or community colleges, or homeschool groups. If your family is religious, weekly kids’ religious meetings are another way to let them socialize (though be careful not to force anything on them). There are all kinds of opportunities to give your child some independence while allowing them to socialize with those of their own age, or older and younger children.
Special outings, day trips and vacations are yet another socialization opportunity that is often overlooked by the public school children. Homeschoolers have the chance to go on many more of these outings to explore local historical attractions, museums, arts festivals, and more. During all these day trips and outings, you can use “teachable moments” to show them how to properly interact with others, and they will have the chance to learn mature behavior from those older than themselves, which is definitely a positive aspect of homeschooling.
The importance of getting them involved cannot be underestimated. Since homeschoolers will learn from their surroundings like any other children, ensuring that their surroundings are full of mature individuals who are good role models for proper social behavior is critical. If your family does not ordinarily interact much with others, you may have to enroll them in lessons or make extra efforts to get your children out there and interacting with people.
There are many different ways a homeschooler is socialized that the average public schooler does not experience. Being able to describe them to a well-meaning relative or stranger is a good idea, but after some time, you may realize that it’s more worth it just to smile and move on than to explain your child’s life to dozens of people. As long as your child receives plenty of opportunities to socialize, you won’t be harming them for life.