Socialization seems to be one of the biggest concerns people have about homeschooling. Don't ask me why, because according to my understanding of school, it's a place to learn, grow your knowledge, and gain experiences. It wasn't until the last 100 years or so that kids were even taught this way, grouped together by age in a classroom setting. In the past kids learned at home from their parents and siblings. Somehow we've made it this far in history so I don't really see the problem or why this is of concern.
I've heard before that homeschooled kids are weird. It's true, there are some homeschooled kids that are weird or socially awkward. Honestly, what I've noticed is typically their parents are too. I have also noticed that in my own years of attending "regular school" that there were a lot of weird socially awkward kids there as well. So how can we say this is because of homeschooling? I know plenty of kids and adults who are or were home schooled and they are perfectly normal and their social skills are wonderful. Let's not group the few with the many in either situation.
Homeschooling give kids the opportunity to interact more with different people of different ages. This helps prepare them for the future. When you enter into a work place once all your schooling is done you will no longer just be around people of your own age. This can be intimidating and many "regular schooled" kids don't know exactly how to relate to others in different age groups.
What I thought I'd share with you today is a short personal story. Recently I had to take both of my boys to the doctor for a regular check-up. One of the first few questions I was asked in the appointment was what grade the oldest was in. I replied that we homeschool and explained to the nurse that he was in grade one, but currently working through grade two curriculum. The very next question asked was if he had opportunities to socialize with other kids his age. He does, not every day though. The "socialization" was what seemed most important to the nurse. Not how well he was learning or grasping concepts, nothing about his physical athletic abilities, just if he was "socialized". - I'm telling you this story to hopefully encourage other parents in this situation and to shed some light for those who are thinking of homeschooling or who know someone who homeschools. - At the end of the appointment with my two boys (which was over an hour long) the nurse commented on how well behaved both boys were, how polite and well-mannered they were, how patient they were, and how they didn't even fight with each other. At the time I didn't think much about it. It wasn't until afterwards thinking back that I made the connection. At the start of our visit she was worried about their social skills, at the end of the visit she was impressed by them!?
So I ask...is it so very important that our children develop their social skills from the other kids their age? I don't think so. Now, I think having friends your own age is important, that's not what this post is about. It's about developing proper manners and social skills. You do not need to be in a large group of people at your same maturity level for large amounts of time each week to develop good social skills. Perhaps it's actually the opposite that is true. Think about it. Let me know in the comments your experiences and your thoughts on the matter.
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