So Who Are Your "Peeps?" - The Socialization Question

By Sandra

While you’re researching this homeschool phenomenon, you will likely encounter the always-in-vogue socialization question. It will be posed by family, concerned friends or colleagues, or your conscience. If it’s your conscience, don’t ignore it. And if it’s asked by someone else, don’t get frustrated. It is a valid question, to which you’ll soon have a sound answer!

No matter how the question is posed, the meaning often has an undercurrent suggesting that, by homeschooling, your child will be deprived of vital learning opportunities with same-age peers. The implication of that, if you connect the dots, is that he will be less prepared for the demands of adulthood.

What say I? My story is something that no one can argue, so that is what I will share. I began homeschooling my oldest son in kindergarten because he was an advanced reader. While the other children were learning an alphabet letter a week, he was reading the “I Can Read” books from the library at home. He started off in a traditional kindergarten setting. But I was concerned that his learning window would close (see Doors and Windows article), as a result of boredom, so I decided to homeschool. He was in that traditional class for about 2 ½ months total, when the teacher took me aside and said she was having trouble challenging him. I knew that was God tapping me on the shoulder and saying, “Yes, the door is open!” Along the way, there have been countless opportunities to participate in field trip groups, sport groups, small cooperative learning groups, larger academic co-op groups, science classes and labs, children’s choirs...the list goes on. The truth is not that you will be pressed to find social opportunities, but that you may need to limit yourself to 2-3, to do them well!

Jennifer Kaufeld , author of Homeschooling for Dummies, said ”Your child learns from you and the other adults and almost-adults in his life. He gets a much better view of how life really works because he isn't incarcerated with a selection of age-mates all day long. Your child sees wisdom at work as she watches you plan and complete tasks, interact with people in your community, and schedule your life to get (almost) everything done. She learns your values and morals as she listens to what you say and watches what you do.”

By observing day-to-day tasks and the people you encounter, your child is one step closer to engaging in those tasks with those community helpers independently. This has certainly held true for my children. My children speak to the produce manager, senior citizens, the librarian, the bakery manager, the deli worker, the postal worker...Everyone I’ve done business with, they have too. They know how to exchange cordial hellos, as well as talk about the economy’s effect on gas prices. They are alive and engaged in real life matters, in addition to traditional academics. And, of course, they love to play! They have many opportunities to engage in free play with children after co-ops, classes, or scheduled play dates.

So who your “peeps” –or people- become is limited only by the vastness of your community melting pot, and your desire to participate in groups or play dates. Homeschooling provides the advantage of interaction with various peoples in all walks and seasons of life. Connecting with other homeschool children is a snap, once you get in touch with your local homeschool umbrella group. There often are several from which to choose. Find one with seasoned homeschool teachers. (Those who have seen their kids through graduation would be ideal, because they’ve probably already seen every situation you’ll face!) You can also find out about social opportunities through state organizations, for which your local umbrella can provide contact information.

Mary Pride, author of Complete Guide to Getting Started Homeschooling said, “A person who is well socialized is able to relate to people from a wide variety of age groups and lifestyles. Homeschooling is the ideal option for this type of training, as it affords the opportunity to relate to people in the real world rather than a fabricated world that is limited in scope to those who are within one or two years of being the same age of the student. Study after study has shown that homeschooled children excel in every area of socialization.”

Here is a link to a good resource on socialization, with definitions, quotes, and the works. Print it out, mull it over. I think you’ll find a helpful morsel here.