Comments on: What About Socialization?

By: Val

Val — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 03:53:38 +0000

We meet the social needs of our kids in several ways. Firstly, we have a homeschool co-op that meets once a week. Through this co-op, the kids take classes, go on field trips, put on plays, have meals and outdoor play together. The second thing we do is send our son to a local school for physical fitness. He has a classroom that he is assigned to, and he has been invited by the class to take part in other activities that happen in the school. The third factor is that I have a small home childcare, where children from very young ages as well as school-aged children come to our home.
The kids have made several close friendships from the children I watch. A fourth social event is simply enjoying the opportunities within our neighborhood (which has a lot of children in it), visiting the park regularly, visiting the library (where we often meet up with friends), and of course socializing within our family. We are also involved with local sports, depending on the season and our schedules.
Our family is very active, and so our children never lack for chances to interact with both children and adults each week.

By: Melody

Melody — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 17:43:55 +0000

This is a subject I’m thinking about a lot because I know it will come up. However, since our daughter is only 3, I haven’t gotten a lot of that question yet. Aside from normal sharing and such, she reacts in the same way as an other child I see. We are however looking forward to placing her in activities that interest her, that way she can make friends with people who have similar interests. Isn’t that what a lot of people end up doing as adults anyway?

By: Elma Swanepoel

Elma Swanepoel — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 08:18:53 +0000

Include your children in your own network of social activities as well as activities for children such as camps, scouts, drama classes, sport, choir, music classes and orchestra, etc.

By: JenS

JenS — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 00:22:50 +0000

We go socialize during our co-op classes and in between. We socialize with friends and enjoy play dates. There are camps and classes at the local community college that we will be attending.

By: Crystal D

Crystal D — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 21:24:31 +0000

We have 3 children who were very shy while they were in public school. But now that we home school they are socially growing. We joined the local homeschool group and they’ve made some good friends! They don’t have to worry week to week if the next time they see them the other child has changed their mind and no longer thinks they’re cool. They also love to talk to older people now. They tell me that older people know really cool facts about stuff, lol. Librarians are also their new friends. We love homeschool!

By: Brandy staats Dominy

Brandy staats Dominy — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 01:37:33 +0000

For socialization we have joined a homeschool group that meets once a week. I also try to get my son to talk to the cashier when checking out at the grocery shores, talking to the veterinarian while we are at a checkup 😉

By: Kyrsten

Kyrsten — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:42:59 +0000

This topic is so entertaining to me because our family has a very active network all throughout our community. Never in my wildest dreams could imagine a social life like this for our children. We have weekly play-dates, athletics, and library and park events. I am constantly running into people we know and my kids run into children they know that are from many of the schools in the area and those who are home educated.
As an introvert, a social life like ours take a fair amount of maintenance but it is all relatively easy when you surround yourself with amazing people.
Additionally, I view socialization (culture and social concepts) to be a different thing from a social life. Socialization, in my view, is how one conducts themselves in public and has very little to due with fostering and building relationships.

By: Martablack

Martablack — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 00:40:02 +0000

We have five children, so socialization has never been a problem. Our children play and learn with each other, that is often enough. However the older kids do sports, and we belong to a church. Youth group and volunteering fill in gaps.

By: jasmine

jasmine — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 00:22:46 +0000

I am new to homeschooling, just started in the middle of this last school year, we were planning on pulling at the end of the year but the myriad of problems at my kids school forced my hand. This was one of my husbands biggest concerns but we have found that thru church, boy scouts, girl scouts, dance, gymnastics, co-ops, and karate, there are tons of opportunities to get my kids to socialize and be forced to sort out the social issues that befall kids, ie who picks the game, who goes first etc…its been quite an interesting experiment ^_^ yay for homeschool kids being AWESOME

By: Christen

Christen — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 16:18:15 +0000

I feel like the socialization thing is a myth. My kids used to get 20 minutes for recess, were told to be quiet during their 20 minute lunch, and were seated away from their friends in class to prevent socialization! Just a couple of taunts, episodes of bullying, or condescending remarks made by staff and we wind up with a case of social anxiety. My child was much more social and outgoing before school started and when I pulled her out this year she became more social, more herself, again.
She has sleepovers every weekend with friends from the playgroup she was in as a toddler, friends she met while in school, friends from the neighborhood, and friends from her extra curriculars. People come over during the week, too. She has is in scouts, swim class, library group, homeschool band, and a group of homeschoolers that takes field trips together. I do not know any homeschoolers that are really home all that much! Most are out at co-ops and classes socializing away!