Socialization. If you are a homeschooler, then you know this word all too well. You know what it means, and you know exactly how it relates to you. If you are not part of a homeschooling family, you might not understand what I am talking about. I will try to explain.
As every homeschooler knows, "socialization" is a big issue. When you tell some one that you are homeschooled, socialization is the number one issue that they will bring up. You see, most of the world seems to be under the opinion that we homeschoolers never see people outside of our immediate family. Now, I have probably said this before, and I know I will say it again: Every homeschooling stereotype (and really, any stereotype) is true about some people. There are homeschoolers who never leave the house, who rarely see other people. They, however, are not the majority, at least in my area.
Again, some people are like that, but I am not, and neither are any of the homeschoolers I know. Just to show you how true this is, here is a quick look at my week. One thing that you may notice is that a lot of the things I do are with the same basic group of people. Some people call this a problem, but isn't it pretty much the same as a class in a school. You do most things with the other people your own age, or in your own crowd.
Sunday: Dance class in the morning with six other girls (one of whom is my sister). After lunch, our homeschool Choir group meets to practice. In the evening, I go with a few friends to a class to get our first aid certification renewed.
Monday: I go to the library to clean books in the children's section with two other girls. One of them is a homeschooled friend, and the other goes to the public high school.
Tuesday: I have an American History class led by a homeschool dad. Many homeschool friends of ours are there.
Wednesday: We go to Park Day, a large gathering of about ten to twenty homeschool families (it varies by the week, location and weather are often a factor). In the evening we go to a talk by a professor from our local University on the topic of homeschooling. It was a bit funny, a bit annoying, and just not that well thought out in my opinion.
Thursday: Many moms of the group have a Mom's Night, leaving us kids with a few of the dads, which is fun for all.
Friday: My sister goes to homeschool soccer in the morning and then goes home with some friends. I hang out at home.
Saturday: We run some errands (grocery store, library, ect.) and then go to Starbucks, where I work on my current Latin translation.
So, you see, I see other people every single day. Many of them are the same people, but that is just like being in a school. Most families in our group have similar, if not busier, schedules most weeks. Socialization is not an issue around here. When people ask, I tell them that I do things out side the house every single day. They still look skeptical? I walk away. I know that they disapprove, and I don't care. Hopefully I can soon win them other with my fantastic social skills. :)
Fellow homeschoolers, how do you deal with the socialization question? Non-homeschoolers, do you think socialization is a big deal? Do you think that we do not get out enough? What are your main concerns with homeschooling? I am curious to know what you think.
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