Comments on: 1st Shoot With the Homeschool Family Complete

By: six

six — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 22:15:17 +0000

The question should be ‘WHY would you want to have your child socialized by strangers?’ in an artificial setting that only prepares them to punch the clock for someone else? We have forgotten that the family should be at the center of life not the job. My six are more comfortable with adults than most PSers that view adults in the power role. My boys love to help the little kids at the park and the older neighbors. These kids have a chance to be a human, kind, compassionate not just a body in a seat.

By: Barbara Smythe

Barbara Smythe — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 05:47:53 +0000

Socialization is the best thing about “home” schooling (our kids are rarely at home, btw). When did we decide putting 500 14-year-olds together all day was healthy socialization? When you pull kids out of that environment, they turn out to be nice, fun and interesting people! Our three teens have LOTS of friends, and, guess what: they’re nice,cooperative, tolerant , fun human beings. The only time they have to put up with the usual adolescent social nonsense is when they are around conventionally schooled kids.

By: Melanie Meadors

Melanie Meadors — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 20:00:41 +0000

LOL our son gets so much MORE socialization being homeschooled than in school. I hear that is the case with most people. There are so many more opportunities to get together with friends, and to meet new people. They don’t have to sit at a desk all day! Field trips, groups, classes, library trips, and open play time, sports…. We could easily do activities all day every day! And the kids for the most part are polite and are able to handle conflict WAY better than their public school counterparts.

By: Stacey

Stacey — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 19:43:42 +0000

This is the number one question we get asked when they find out we home school “How does your daughter make friends?” My daughter is very sociable with people of all ages and not restricted to children her own age. We have a large ‘home school group’ who meet regularly, she attends drama group, plays soccer in a team, participates in the library book club for children, has friends stay for sleep overs and play dates. She comes to her younger brothers playgroups, accompanies her Grandmother at her morning tea gatherings, and is socializing with people in the community on a daily basis when out with me. My daughter has learnt how to socialize with people of all ages, an important skill she will need in her adult life.

By: unschooling mom

unschooling mom — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:52:11 +0000

*John Taylor Gatto

By: unschooling mom

unschooling mom — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:50:53 +0000

I am more worried about the publicly educated kids’ socialization! How many times do you remember hearing teachers say, “we are not here to socialize.”?? Go see what John Taylor Tattoo (a former NY State Teacher of the Year recipient) has to say on the subject–i would recommend Dumbing Us Down.

By: Dragonfly

Dragonfly — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:27:10 +0000

Instead of being locked in an artificial institutional setting surrounded by bells, forced silence and age-segregation, homeschoolers’ ‘classroom’ is real life. Schools are like prisons where arbitrary rules are enforced. In a homeschool environment, children are completely engaged in real interactions with all ages; with people from all walks of life. Homeschooled children can learn to interact with anyone, anyplace. Children who attend schools spend the majority of their time missing out on real life.

By: Theresa

Theresa — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:21:33 +0000

Homeschooled children are socialized. They meet people of all ages through activities, playing in the park or travelling. The one thing I love about homeschooling is my daughter can ask me about difficult questions including ones about social dynamics. She isn’t solely dependent on children her age with the same amount of life experience for guidance.

By: Susie M

Susie M — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:12:17 +0000

I pulled my child out of school specifically because the kind of socialization that happens in school was destroying him. I’m not exaggerating when I say that. He was fine academically, but he was not a “mainstream” kind of kid and he was made to feel an outsider because he didn’t fit in as easily as many other boys. Once he started homeschooling we were able to connect with the many, many other homeschooling families in our area through park days, classes, fieldtrips, and other events. He quickly developed an AMAZING group of buddies, all of whom admired and appreciated him for all those unique qualities that made him an outsider in school. He is now 18, started community college at 16, completely bypassing the social minefield of high school. He is strong and happy. He thanks me all the time for homeschooling him and he’s the first to admit it saved his life!

By: Thrice Blest

Thrice Blest — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 17:55:25 +0000

@Vic: Home education provides a better opportunity for real life socialization than a school setting. In a school setting kids are with essentially the same group of same aged kids from their same neighborhood for a defined period of time. As homeschoolers we have the ability to expose our children to a wide range of people encompassing many socio-economic, racial and religious backgrounds. They learn how to relate to people of all ages and levels of education, they learn new languages, customs and activities. We can travel without restrictions and dig as deeply as we want into other cultures. We are not limited by a mandated curriculum in a one size fits all State formula. Additionally, school is not the only place in which children interact with each other. There is church, sports, community service projects, field trips, theatre, homeschool conferences, family reunions, camps, music lessons…the list is endless! Any child’s level of socialization is limited only by that child’s willingness to participate. I dare say most who homeschool do so in search of a well rounded, whole life experience. Loving, engaged parents constantly provide their children with varied opportunities and walk beside them to guide them through it.