The S word
The dreaded S word. Socialization. The single most asked question of homeschool moms. Of the single biggest reason non homeschool moms give for not homeschooling.
I haven’t blogged about this topic yet…at least not with it’s own post. So why now? do you ask….maybe you aren’t asking, but I am going to tell you anyway.
Well, I was driving down the road with my younger two…well not so young…..but younger than my older two.
Now, in comparison to said older two, my younger two have homeschooled longer.
Oldest was 1/2 way through Freshman year when he decided to quit going. (doesn’t that sound nicer than dropping out?) He then unschooled the rest of his high school years at home until going to Job Corp at 17 getting his GED and a certificate in Wildland Firefighting.
Son #2 never stepped foot into high school. That same year the youngers came home too…so I had 9th, 4th, and 2nd graders my first year. Oy!
Fast forward to this year. Emily is now 9th grade (round two of high school) and Jesse is 7th grade. So they are starting their 6 year at home.
They are different. Different than their public school buddies. (Yes (gasp) they have friends that go to public school…they DO socialize haha) They are different than their private school buddies.
How are they different? NOT that being different is a bad thing. That isn’t what I am saying. I am merely stating an observation.
I wouldn’t say they were nerds. Although some of their non-homeschooled friends might.
My kids are outside the box. The box of the world. The box that the world puts kids in…..My kids aren’t even NEAR that box.
The box of Mtv or Top 40 music or the latest trendy clothes….I still can’t pronounce Aeropostale. Or drugs or alcohol or or or the list goes on.
My kids can’t really carry on conversations with kids their age. They get bored. Or are lost because the other kid is talking about something other than the latest cool History Channel show about the Civil War….or Animal Planet’s show about Sharks.
They think outside the box with learning also. They prefer to do and touch to read and hear. Emily has said she doesn’t want to go to the high school because she wants to learn by DOING! She is getting her ‘socialization’ be playing girls soccer for the high school this coming season.
Jesse has an opportunity to learn about horses….will he learn it from a text book? No. He will learn it from a man from our church. My son will be socializing with an adopted grandpa not a bunch of other 12 years olds (GASP) in a classroom.
I would much prefer my kids be outside the box. Be able to hold a conversation with anybody. They are comfortable with the babies in the nursery at church or at the park AND they are comfortable with the grandmas and grandpa’s that ask them how they are today….they RESPOND with a full sentence AND they are polite about it.
Now please don’t read that I am bashing public school kids….I am NOT saying they are ALL that way. Same as not ALL homeschooled kids are human beings. I happen to be biased towards mine and my two four are the only ones I am referring to when in comes to being nerds socially awkward outside the worldly box.
So please don’t send me a bunch of hate mail about your opinions of homeschool vs. other school options.
My kids do leave the house. They do get to have friends their age. They do get to do activities like soccer or theater. I just think. This is just MY OPINION….that socialization isn’t JUST being with kids their own age.
Just my opinion.
