Home School News Blog

Posts Tagged ‘socialization’

One of the most often heard questions when considering homeschooling is, “Aren’t you worried about socialization?” I’m not sure if those questions are truly about socialization, or if they’re about socializing. There’s a big difference between the two.

While this issue of socialization seems to be on the minds of people against homeschooling, those who actually homeschool never give it much thought. They know that their children are not going to suffer by foregoing public school socialization. In fact, most homeschool children are probably better socialized than public school students.

Socialization is basically learning to conform to today’s society. What is it about homeschooling that would keep a child from learning to conform to today’s society? And do we really want children that conform and become little automations? Or do we want children who can think for themselves while having something to offer society as a whole?

Children are little sponges, so just by being a part of a family they will begin to learn what society expects of them. The only way a child would fail to be socialized is if they were secluded away from everyone. The image of a backwoods, backwards, misfit homeschool family is just not accurate. Homeschooling families are generally active in their local communities, and often involved in volunteering to help others. These activities will help solve any socialization issues.

So if you plan to homeschool, how should you respond when asked about socialization? Are the questions really about socializing instead? Well, I can honestly say, my kids are very social. Not only do we attend church every week, we have days during the week that we meet with other homeschool families, and they’ll strike up a conversation with anyone, no matter their age. If those activities aren’t enough, homeschool children have play days, skate days, and trips to the bowling alley. How much more social does a child have to be?

When thinking about socialization, one has to wonder, are the lessons they learn in public school really any better than what they’ll learn at home? Since public schools create artificial societies which rarely mirror real life. In public schools children learn about drugs, alcohol, violence, and sexual promiscuity. Most homeschool parents are very happy that their children won’t have to learn those lessons.

If socialization is supposed to teach your child how to behave in society, how to properly respond to people, and be responsible adults, it isn’t very likely that a child will learn that from public school. All one has to do is go to nearly any public middle school and walk the halls. After witnessing the behavior of the students there, ask yourself which of those behaviors you would truly want your child to emulate. That should get any parent’s attention and quell any further questions or concerns about a homeschool child’s socialization.

One of the greatest myths that exist about the homeschooling phenomenon is that children who learn at home will not develop the necessary social skills needed for later in life. This belief is due to a narrow view of the process of socialization and a misunderstanding of homeschooling in general.

Socialization can occur in many forms. Sitting in a public school classroom with 20 other children is one limited form. In fact, homeschoolers have the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of social situations that a typical school setting would not allow. Homeschoolers who have siblings have a built in social environment in the family unit. They are able to learn communication skills and problem solving skills through daily interaction with their brothers or sisters. Attending church and/or a weekly Sunday school class also gives homeschoolers interaction with other children their age, in addition to adults. Children who attend homeschooling groups have interaction with other students of various ages, teaching them how to socialize with older and younger children.

The very nature of the homeschool curriculum gives homeschooling families a flexible schedule. Students are free to join groups such as the 4-H club, the Girl Scouts or the Boy Scouts, or clubs offered by the local YMCA. In fact, local homeschoolers can get together and can start their own clubs! What a great opportunity to learn about responsibility and leadership.

Parents of homeschoolers can take an active role in the socialization of their children. There are many options to pursue. The first step is to find other homeschoolers in the area. There will be a ready bond between homeschool students because of their shared educational experiences. Another step is to find out which clubs are available for their children to join. There were several previously mentioned, but organized sports can also offer a great outlet for social interaction. Many skills can be learned from playing on a local soccer or baseball team, such as maintaining a positive attitude, working well with other people, and being a responsible member of a larger group.

Taking homeschoolers to the local park where other children in the community play is an easy way to give them social interaction with peers. There are also many opportunities for volunteer activities for homeschoolers to participate in. Places like nursing homes, soup kitchens, and state parks are always looking for eager helpers. Being a volunteer teaches homeschool students that they are a part of a larger community and each community member has the responsibility to serve where they are willing and able.

The next time someone tells you that they do not think homeschooling allows for the proper socialization of children, you can just smile and explain how they are mistaken!

Homeschooling socialization is by far the most major conflict in relation to homeschooling. The problem is that, by removing your children from the public school environment, you are depriving them of the social development offered by public schools. After all, it would be difficult for a child to develop social skills when they are not given the opportunity to interact with other children. As such, this remains as a huge homeschooling disadvantage.

Is This Best For My Child?

As a parent, a great concern should be placed on your child’s social development. Whether they are in the job market or the super market, being socially adjusted will help anybody excel in life. While research shows that there is a homeschooling advantage (in many different ways), losing the ability to learn how to be social is always a disadvantage to any homeschooling curriculum.

This problem, unfortunately, goes beyond losing the opportunity to develop social skills, as children will also lose the opportunity to develop close, interpersonal relationships with other children. However, as strong as these problems are, they can be avoided by extending your homeschooling program to allow for your child to interact with other children. You simply need to expose them to a social environment, such as a public park or a sports league. After all, with all of the advantages homeschooling offers, taking the time to ensure social behavior of your child is a small price to pay in making sure your child develops as a well-rounded individual.

How Can I Start?

If you are interested in homeschooling your child, find a homeschooling resource to create your own homeschooling program. If you want religious teachings to be a part of your child’s daily education, find a Christian homeschooling guide, as many are available on the Web if you take the time to do a little research. Additionally, you can choose to use homeschooling software to educate your child by finding a program that offers homeschooling online.

For parents that feel as though they need to speak with someone directly to answer all of their questions, seek out homeschool counseling, as these counselors will give you the resources you need to establish your own homeschool. Finally, be patient, as creating a curriculum is not an easy task.

Remember, while homeschools do not offer the same social environment offered by public schools, the advantages are clear. Because of the amount of time you will have to spend with your child, you will bond with him or her in a way that most parents do not get to bond with their children: education. Additionally, because you set the curriculum, you get to decide what information your child should learn and what information they should not learn.

Finally, you will have the benefit of knowing exactly what your child is being taught, meaning that a public school instructor will not have the opportunity to teach things to your child that you do not agree with. Homeschooling is not right for everyone, but if you feel it is right for your child, then it would definitely be worth your time to look into homeschooling as an option.

This post reviews Carol Plum-Ucci, Homeschooling Abbey: Your Basic Mom Tries Home Education & Tells All (BookSurge, 2008) Plum-Ucci , best known for her young adult thrillers , here pens an intriguing memoir/meditation on her homeschooling experience with her daughter Abbey. The book begins badly, I must say, and for the first couple of chapters Plum-Ucci seems like the sort of slightly neurotic woman who drives everyone around her crazy by talking obsessively about herself and

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Plum-Ucci on Homeschooling Abbey

In my previous two posts ( here and here ) I reviewed the first three parts of Homeschooling (Current Controversies) . In this post I’ll finish out part four and make some concluding comments about the anthology. Part four addresses the question, “Should Homeschooled Children Have Access to Public School Resources?” There are three entries answering “yes” and three answering “no.” First comes Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governer Ed Rendell’s sensitive and articulate explanation of

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New Edition of HOMESCHOOLING (CURRENT CONTROVERSIES) PART 3

I’m sure most of you who hadn’t already stumbled across these videos when I started posting them have gone ahead and watched all four by now, but I figure they’re worth a second viewing…or even a third. Now the world is collapsing for these young homeschooled kids, who sort of seem like they could live next door. Or, uh, maybe in my house as I watch ninja Gary jump around with his canned air. But he has a dream: My hope is that one day females will learn to appreciate homeschoolers. Sure, i

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Homeschooler to world: I have a dream

This post reviews Gregory and Martine Millman, Homeschooling: A Family’s Journey(New York: Penguin, 2008). Gregory Millman, economics journalist and author of several books on monetary policy, and his wife Martine Millman here produce a beautiful book that is part memoir, part how-to guide, and part research review on select homeschooling topics. For this review I will stress the research component of the book. The Millmans began homeschooling their six children after frustrating experiences

Originally posted here: 
Millman on Homeschooling in New Jersey and College Admission

For those of you interested, my latest post at Homeschool Bliss is up. It’s about that much feared and misunderstood “S” word: socialization. It’s the first in a series of how to find social opportunities for the home educated student. Go check it out, and if any of my non-home educating readers have questions relating to the subject of home schooling, feel free to ask me. The comments are open to all inquiries. Copyright © 2008 Paper Bridges. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use on

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My latest at Homeschool Bliss

Support groups for home schoolers. When I first started home schooling four years ago, I did a search of Yahoo! groups for home schoolers in my state, and was amazed at the number of groups available. The home schooling community is thriving, all you have to do is make the connections. Often these groups schedule fun activities for their members – last month we went square dancing with our home schoolers support group. Check local newspapers, library and the Internet to find other home sch

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Socialization Opportunity 1

Last Friday we went square dancing with our home school group. The weeks leading up to it, I wasn’t all that keen on going. Square dancing? Who does square dancing anymore? I had a list of reasons why it wasn’t the best idea. Kids are tricky creatures. When you think they’ll like something, they go and decide it’s the worst thing in the world. And Lucy, still healing from her broken leg, would she have fun?

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Friday night square dance