Saturday, October 23, 2010
October 23
Every person we have told about homeschooling has brought up socialization. It wasn't something that ever occurred to me would be an issue. My kids had a few school friends, but they were all just that: school friends. The only time they would really spend with those kids were a few minutes during P.E. and sometimes lunch (and then only if they were in the same class as they were not permitted to talk across tables). We're lucky enough to live on a street chock full of kids. There is a knock at our door nearly every day after traditional school is out asking if my little birds can come out and play. It's not unusual for my kids to spend two or more hours outside on a daily basis playing and exploring a nearby field and "woods". My door slams a few times an hour as they go in and out with bikes, toys, scooters, blankets and snacks. The large, active homeschooling/attachment parenting community here also organizes many events and park days. The only thing preventing us from attending was school! On top of that, Wren is a Girl Scout, the kids all swim, and the boys usually participate in fall/spring sports. So, yea, I think we've got that pesky socialization issue covered.
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Yay! Love this. And great point about school getting in the way of socialization as opposed to facilitating it as they'd have us think.
ReplyDeleteThank you for following me!! Its a pleasure to meet you :-)
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this as well. My son is 7 and has 2 "best friends" in our neighborhood who he spends time with daily. They ride bikes, make forts, and do all the normal crazy boy things that 7 year olds usually do. I have found that it is sometimes hard for him to understand when his friends have homework though - a foreign concept! ;-)
Frankly the way most schools operate I really don't think there is nearly as much socialization going on as parents and others think. There are plenty of ways to socialize that don't require school and where you have 4 kids they will be fine.
ReplyDeleteI am really starting to think socialization as a "non-argument". Folks always bring it up as why you shouldn't homeschool and you know it's usually the people who have no idea what typical homeschools are like. They don't see all the extra-curricular activities or even the classes taken at public schools. There are so many opportunities to socialize that this needs to stop being an argument against homeschooling.
ReplyDeleteMost homeschoolers I know are seem to be exposed to more opportunities to socialize than public schoolers.
Dee,
ReplyDeleteI was told by a seasoned homeschooler that you don't really want another (insert age) child socializing your child and as far as being social, once they wake up and say something to another human being, then they are being social. Okay, so I added a few of my own words in the last part of the statement only because I can't remember her exact words. You get the point, right? Yes, I homeschool my children. Are they in trouble?