Maybe you are new to homeschooling. Or you are weighing your options in this new COVID-19 era. Welcome! We know you have a ton of questions on your mind and socialization is probably high on the list. Will your kid still have friends if you homeschool? Will she miss out on theater activities and the prom? What about his STEM club and his interest in music?
The good news is that homeschooling these days can open up more socializing options than conventional schooling. We’ll outline some reasons and suggestions below. You can do this! With a little creativity, the possibilities are endless and exciting. Think of it as a natural fit, like that old childhood favorite, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
The Homeschool Model
People who are not familiar with homeschooling see proper socialization only coming from school and contacts with peers.
In reality, the socializing that happens at many public schools tends to be narrow. Kids interact only with peers and teachers, around a clockwork of classes and exams. The time allocated to talking is a mere fifteen minutes per day on average.
Kids have to fit into this rigid system or they may feel left out in the cold, considered odd or strange.
When you homeschool, your child can have many more social choices. That’s because, contrary to what people might assume, homeschooling often does not mean school at home!
Each day can bring something new and different. A history reading at home could be followed by a museum outing and workshop. A chemistry project could be based at the community garden, with the input of the local staff. An overnight canoe trip with family friends could involve your child in careful budgeting of resources.
Make the world your teaching canvas, and what happens each day, including social contacts, becomes an adventure. Friendships, conversations and social ties develop around your child’s true interests. While he or she may not see the same people every day, your homeschooler will spend much more than that fifteen minutes allowed during school engaged in conversations with friends, adults, and kind strangers!
Create Cross-Generation Socializing
In a typical school setting, your child socializes mostly with students the same age. With homeschooling, it’s possible to expand and diversify that circle in meaningful ways.
Say Grandpa loves drafting and building projects. Your kid can learn geometry and architecture skills from him and have fun at the same time. Maybe they volunteer together to rebuild housing in the community after a hurricane. Or they use CAD software to sketch and build a treehouse for a younger sibling. They cut and polish wood to construct a dining table and benches. As your child grows, the evolving projects can deepen the relationship and create a special bond that lasts into the teen years and beyond.
If an aunt works in a veterinary clinic and your child is interested in medicine, the two might enjoy fostering a young kitten together. Later, perhaps he can interview his aunt for a research paper on anatomy, or preventative health practices. Over the years, they might have many conversations together, which would rarely happen in a traditional school context. This can be a wonderful way for your child to bond with an older person and to learn about career options!
Find Opportunities to Socialize Everywhere
Socialization opportunities for homeschoolers truly are all around us.
Learning and social interactions can happen everywhere. Outside a grocery store, you and your child might have a conversation about geology with a friendly neighbor who has a cool bear claw necklace on. Inside that same grocery store, there might be a math puzzle. Which choice is really more cost effective? The price on one bag of rice says one thing. The unit price on the shelf may show something completely different. Your child could ask an employee questions about the different fruits and vegetables, and get a lesson in gardening and ecology!
A colleague’s daughter was about 10 years old when she started playing the flute. She visited an older neighbor and would give her ‘recitals’. They became great friends. As an added bonus she learned about Hungarian history and food. Helen and her husband escaped from Hungary and moved to Canada and then to their neighborhood in Phoenix. Because she was homeschooled, the daughter had time to make this friendship!
Connect Online With Other Homeschoolers
These days, many families join online homeschooling groups for socialization. It’s a great way to meet local families and find friends with similar interests, as well as share ideas and resources.
You can find homeschool support groups in your area here: www.homeeddirectory.com/homeschooling-support-groups
If you have a support group you would like listed, please submit it here: www.homeeddirectory.com/support_group
Reassure Your Child
Let your child know that, in most cases, he or she will not miss out on any social events due to not being in school. There are homeschool or local sports leagues, homeschool proms and graduation ceremonies. Some school districts allow homeschool students to participate in extra-curricular activities such as band, football, basketball and other sports.
Plus, since homeschooling generally has a more lax schedule, it can be tailored to meet each child’s needs, including his or her social activities. If your child is interested in theater or acting, it will be easier to find time for auditions, rehearsals and informal get-togethers. For a child dedicated to high-level sports practice or a travel team, long daily workouts and frequent games will not interfere with academic learning.
Many homeschoolers are so busy socializing they have lessons in the car instead of at home!
With homeschooling your children will get to experience a quality of life not available to public school students.
The good news is that homeschooling these days can open up more socializing options than conventional schooling. We’ll outline some reasons and suggestions below. You can do this! With a little creativity, the possibilities are endless and exciting. Think of it as a natural fit, like that old childhood favorite, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
The Homeschool Model
People who are not familiar with homeschooling see proper socialization only coming from school and contacts with peers.
In reality, the socializing that happens at many public schools tends to be narrow. Kids interact only with peers and teachers, around a clockwork of classes and exams. The time allocated to talking is a mere fifteen minutes per day on average.
Kids have to fit into this rigid system or they may feel left out in the cold, considered odd or strange.
When you homeschool, your child can have many more social choices. That’s because, contrary to what people might assume, homeschooling often does not mean school at home!
Each day can bring something new and different. A history reading at home could be followed by a museum outing and workshop. A chemistry project could be based at the community garden, with the input of the local staff. An overnight canoe trip with family friends could involve your child in careful budgeting of resources.
Make the world your teaching canvas, and what happens each day, including social contacts, becomes an adventure. Friendships, conversations and social ties develop around your child’s true interests. While he or she may not see the same people every day, your homeschooler will spend much more than that fifteen minutes allowed during school engaged in conversations with friends, adults, and kind strangers!
Create Cross-Generation Socializing
In a typical school setting, your child socializes mostly with students the same age. With homeschooling, it’s possible to expand and diversify that circle in meaningful ways.
Say Grandpa loves drafting and building projects. Your kid can learn geometry and architecture skills from him and have fun at the same time. Maybe they volunteer together to rebuild housing in the community after a hurricane. Or they use CAD software to sketch and build a treehouse for a younger sibling. They cut and polish wood to construct a dining table and benches. As your child grows, the evolving projects can deepen the relationship and create a special bond that lasts into the teen years and beyond.
If an aunt works in a veterinary clinic and your child is interested in medicine, the two might enjoy fostering a young kitten together. Later, perhaps he can interview his aunt for a research paper on anatomy, or preventative health practices. Over the years, they might have many conversations together, which would rarely happen in a traditional school context. This can be a wonderful way for your child to bond with an older person and to learn about career options!
Find Opportunities to Socialize Everywhere
Socialization opportunities for homeschoolers truly are all around us.
Learning and social interactions can happen everywhere. Outside a grocery store, you and your child might have a conversation about geology with a friendly neighbor who has a cool bear claw necklace on. Inside that same grocery store, there might be a math puzzle. Which choice is really more cost effective? The price on one bag of rice says one thing. The unit price on the shelf may show something completely different. Your child could ask an employee questions about the different fruits and vegetables, and get a lesson in gardening and ecology!
A colleague’s daughter was about 10 years old when she started playing the flute. She visited an older neighbor and would give her ‘recitals’. They became great friends. As an added bonus she learned about Hungarian history and food. Helen and her husband escaped from Hungary and moved to Canada and then to their neighborhood in Phoenix. Because she was homeschooled, the daughter had time to make this friendship!
Connect Online With Other Homeschoolers
These days, many families join online homeschooling groups for socialization. It’s a great way to meet local families and find friends with similar interests, as well as share ideas and resources.
You can find homeschool support groups in your area here: www.homeeddirectory.com/homeschooling-support-groups
If you have a support group you would like listed, please submit it here: www.homeeddirectory.com/support_group
Reassure Your Child
Let your child know that, in most cases, he or she will not miss out on any social events due to not being in school. There are homeschool or local sports leagues, homeschool proms and graduation ceremonies. Some school districts allow homeschool students to participate in extra-curricular activities such as band, football, basketball and other sports.
Plus, since homeschooling generally has a more lax schedule, it can be tailored to meet each child’s needs, including his or her social activities. If your child is interested in theater or acting, it will be easier to find time for auditions, rehearsals and informal get-togethers. For a child dedicated to high-level sports practice or a travel team, long daily workouts and frequent games will not interfere with academic learning.
Many homeschoolers are so busy socializing they have lessons in the car instead of at home!
With homeschooling your children will get to experience a quality of life not available to public school students.
