Exploring the Art of Socialization
“Aren’t you worried about socialization?” This is probably the most common question most homeschooling families get asked. What people really want to know is: “How will your child grow up to be a well-behaved, socially-adept, contributing member of society if they don’t know how to interact with others?”. They assume that because they aren’t interacting with twenty to sixty of their same-age peers on a daily basis, they won’t learn the art of social interaction. They will forever be labeled “socially awkward”.
Children Imitate Their Parents
First off, let’s ask the question. How much of social-adeptness or ineptness in a growing child, teenager or young adult mirrors their parents? I mean, let’s face it, we all know public school children or adults who attended public school that tend to fall on the socially awkward side of the spectrum. Children imitate their parents and so socially-awkward homeschooled kids often also have socially-awkward parents. This could be true of any other character trait that is passed on from parents to children.
Comparing the Hours
Second, the average homeschooler puts in about 25 hours a week in their studies. This leaves ample time for other activities and events in the community. On any given week, the homeschoolers of JFB spend around 10-15 hours involved in activities outside their house. This includes church services, fellowship times, and our group’s recess and other events. I’d like to note here that these 10-15 hours are mostly in situations that are parentally controlled. They usually involve same-age peers AND toddlers, teenagers, college students and everyone else on up.
Let’s compare this to the 35 hours a week a public-schooler spends at school. That’s 1,232 hours a year in situations that aren’t at all controlled (bus, recess, lunch) or controlled by a teacher(s) with a worldview that’s most likely opposite of the parent. As a result, this would also include spending a significant amount of time with other children whose behavior would be considered quite lacking, social skills included.
The Most Important Thing
Certainly, there are many homeschoolers who spend most of their time at home that end up lacking in social skills. A question you should ask is if it is the homeschooling that is causing the social issues? Or could there be other factors that are contributing to the social behavior of the child? Above all, are social skills really the most important aspect of a child’s life anyway. Isn’t the state of their heart towards God the most important thing?
A big part of our kids’ social development is through our church. Many of you have taken the time interact with the kids. You sometimes correct them (when needed), teach them and pray for them. A child can learn a lot through multi-generational friends. Thank you for being a big part of the kids’ lives and our lives!
Making the decision to homeschool is not something to take lightly. If you have interest in discussing this or anything from this article please contact us at homeschool@jfbelievers.com. You could also just
-Tiffany