“But what about socialization?”, that’s the question you’ll hear immediately if you ever even whisper the words ’stay at home’ or ‘homeschool’.

“So, what about it?” People are right that children in preschools or schools are exposed to a lot of children the same age as theirs, and a few adults – but that’s about it, isn’t it?

As a former preschool instructor and daycare worker, I can tell you that there’s much more involved than a child simply being ’social’ at school! And most of these reasons are why I was miserable in those positions, with my hands tied, not being able to do anything about many of them.

Take, for instance, little bully Johnny hitting Susie and pulling her hair. You can’t discipline him, only talk to him…. can you guess how well that goes over?? And don’t think twice about talking to his parents to fix the problem, they know what he’s like and are just glad he’s ‘out of their hair’ for hours and hours a day.

They’ve never taken the time to train and discipline him, they don’t know where to start. ‘That’s what schools are for, to fix my children’ many parents think. I’m not just saying this – it’s true, parents say this!

Then there’s defiant little Mary Jane that argues back with everything the teacher says. Turns her head dramatically to show all that she’s not listening. What’s a teacher to do then? There’s really nothing but ‘talking to them’.

All the while, here’s sweet, innocent little Timmy – never allowed to act that way anywhere, or talk back to adults… he’s soaking it all in. “It works for them, they are getting away with it”, is the thought that will creep into his mind eventually. Again, trust me, I’ve seen this first hand – it happens all the time!

So what is go alluring about THIS to parents? Why expose your child to children and standards which are unacceptable to you? But this is what millions of good, unknowing parents do every single day.

Yes, they are being ’socialized’, but in what? In a negative atmosphere in sorts. There is good, fun stuff about school – but you can’t ignore the wrong.

So, homeschool – what about socialization there? There’s TONS!! IF you work it into your day….

There’s the nursing homes you can visit with a homeschool group – singing and visiting with the elderly. Aren’t we as Christians supposed to minister to the elderly and widows? There’s tons of love and wisdom they can share with young ones. They wouldn’t have this opportunity in school.

What about the local soup kitchen? Many people are hungry, with little clothes and food – but here’s an opportunity to minister to the hungry and poor. Your child will learn to be a servant, not just take things for granted. They wouldn’t have this opportunity in school.

What about being around other children? Again, many ways to do this! Most communities offer homeschool groups, where families come together to enjoy group studies, experiments, field trips, music groups, play dates, and various other opportunities.

Also, being at home, you’re free to join the local story hour at the library – having plenty of books to read and people to interact with.

Being homeschooled, you socialize, just not with ONLY the age your child is. They learn to socialize with ALL ages, learning to talk and work together. Younger children learn from the older, and older children realize the importance of setting a good example and teaching the younger.

Families are together, their hearts turned to one another. In schools, you are separated for 4 or 8 hours a day. Your child has a new ‘favorite’ person in their life – not Mommy or Daddy. This new person will become the reason for debating parents’ decisions – because someone else said something different.

To end, I’d like to share a clip I found on a friend’s blog yesterday regarding this very topic – it’s quite humorous!! (She’s a Sonbeam’s mom with her 3 young children)

The Real Story (AKA Homeschool Humor)

Two women meet at a playground, where their children are swinging and playing
ball. The women are sitting on a bench watching. Eventually, they begin to
talk.

W1: Hi. My name is Maggie. My kids are the three in red shirts –helps me
keep
track of them.

W2: (Smiles) I’m Patty. Mine are in the pink and yellow shirts. Do you come
here a lot?

W1: Usually two or three times a week, after we go to the library.

W2: Wow! Where do you find the time?

W1: We homeschool, so we do it during the day most of the time.

W2: Some of my neighbors homeschool, but I send my kids to public school.

W1: How do you do it?

W2: It’s not easy. I go to all the PTO meetings and work with the kids
every day after school and stay real involved.

W1: But what about socialization? Aren’t you worried about them being
cooped up all day with kids their own ages, never getting the opportunity for
natural relationships?

W2: Well, yes. But I work hard to balance that. They have some friends
who’re homeschooled, and we visit their grandparents almost every month.

W1: Sounds like you’re a very dedicated mom. But don’t you worry about
all the opportunities they’re missing out on? I mean they’re so isolated
from real life — how will they know what the world is like — what people
do to
make a living — how to get along with all different kinds of people?

W2: Oh, we discussed that at PTO, and we started a fund to bring real people
into the classrooms. Last month, we had a policeman and a doctor come in
to talk
to every class. And next month, we’re having a woman from Japan and a man
from Kenya come to speak.

W1: Oh, we met a man from Japan in the grocery store the other week, and
he got
to talking about his childhood in Tokyo. My kids were absolutely
fascinated. We
invited him to dinner and got to meet his wife and their three children.

W2: That’s nice. Hmm. Maybe we should plan some Japanese food for the
lunchroom on Multicultural Day.

W1: Maybe your Japanese guest could eat with the children.

W2: Oh, no. She’s on a very tight schedule. She has two other schools to
visit that day. It’s a system wide thing we’re doing.

W1: Oh, I’m sorry. Well, maybe you’ll meet someone interesting in the
grocery store sometime and you’ll end up having them over for dinner.

W2: I don’t think so. I never talk to people in the store –certainly not
people who might not even speak my language. What if that Japanese man
hadn’t spoken English?

W1: To tell you the truth, I never had time to think about it. Before I even
saw him, my six-year-old had asked him what he was going to do with all the
oranges he was buying.

W2: Your child talks to strangers?

W1: I was right there with him. He knows that as long as he’s with me, he
can talk to anyone he wishes.

W2: But you’re developing dangerous habits in him. My children never talk
to strangers.

W1: Not even when they’re with you?

W2: They’re never with me, except at home after school. So you see why
it’s so important for them to understand that talking to strangers is a big
no-no.

W1: Yes, I do. But if they were with you, they could get to meet interesting
people and still be safe. They’d get a taste of the real world, in real
settings. They’d also get a real feel for how to tell when a situation is
dangerous or suspicious.

W2: They’ll get that in the third and fifth grades in their health courses.

W1: Well, I can tell you’re a very caring mom. Let me give you my
number–if you ever want to talk, give me call. It was good to meet you.

“Mrs. Candace”