But what about socialization???

Some new homeschoolers worry about the whole "socialization" question. Us old-timers just tend to roll our eyes when that question comes along -- please, forgive us, but you'll be there, too, one day! ;-)

I say, if your kids are young, (11, 12, or less), relax. There will be plenty of time for friends later. My goal has always been for my children to be each other's best friends anyway -- and it *is* possible! ;-)

My oldest kids (due to financial constraints at the time and only one car) were not involved in anything outside of church and Awana for years. Didn't hurt them a bit. As a matter of fact, I think it's much better for them at that young age. Gives them more time to spend with me and each other, on their academics, having fun with board games, reading great books, playing outside, doing art projects, etc. -- less time to grow concerned with what other kids are wearing (expensive name-brands or immodest clothing), playing (X-box, etc.), or watching (TV, movies...) and more time to soak up our family's values and the Scriptural training we are giving them.

There are so many cheap or inexpensive things you can do. When my kids were very young, (7 and down), and we lived in a pretty "bad" neighborhood in upstate NY, (w/ lots of children home alone until late at night), I organized an afternoon "read-aloud time" for all the kids in the neighborhood. Usually about 20 kids came each day to gather on our covered front porch to hear me read from the "Little House" books. I passed out homemade cookies, and sometimes we sang songs afterwards, and then the kids rode bikes together as I watched for a short time. (I would *not* have left them unsupervised!) But those kids were desperate for attention, and my kids saw how blessed they were.

Some of the free or inexpensive things we have done over the years for both younger and older kids have been: homeschool choir, nature walks w/ the homeschool group, weekly Park Day and/or Sing-Alongs w/ homeschool group, organized field trips (to Civil War reenactments, the local ice cream store, the Shasta Dam or caverns, etc...), monthly homeschool skate days, community symphonic band and the youth orchestra, a teen writing club, a chess club, drama class/performances, Civil Air Patrol, Scottish dancing (only $5 a class), arts and crafts classes at the local Michaels store, B&N Story Hour (twice a week for various ages -- my then 3yo loved getting her picture taken with Clifford!), and so much more.

Really, the opportunity for positive socialization is all around us. Learning to get along and to make friends with people of all ages and backgrounds happens much more easily in the homeschool setting than it ever could in the formal, age-segregated, institutional school environment. My children have been best socialized in many ways by the residents at one of our local nursing homes where we went for over 8 years every week to visit, play music, sing, play board games, tap dance, and listen to their stories. ;-)

If there is nothing going on in your area, start something. (Yes, even if "starting things" is not your usual mode of operation -- be brave!) Start an online support group for local homeschoolers. Encourage other moms to organize actvities. Organize some regular activities yourself. Better yet, let your kids brainstorm some ideas and start some activities. At different times, my kids started our local chess club, a teen writing club, Bible studies with their friends, a science experiment class, and more. I began teaching drama to our local homeschool kids about 6 years ago, and it's been a fun way for these kids to really know each other and "grow up" together over the years.

One thing I've noticed is that kids tend to "socialize" (as in, talk, play, make friends) a lot more before or after the official activity, so try not to be the ones who arrive late and rush off right as it ends. Every week before drama or choir or whatever, the kids run up to each other and start sharing what they've been doing with each other excitedly.... and then afterwards, they never fail to start a pickup game of touch football or act out a castle-and-knights story or teach other to play the group jumprope rhymes -- actually, us old-time mommas have to "jump" in and show them how it's done....!

What touches my heart the most is the way the older kids (17, 18 years old...) play with the younger kids (down to 5 or 6 years old). Last week after drama, I looked around my big yard and saw a game of touch football that included several high school boys along with a few 4th/5th grade girls, and a bunch of young 5 to 8 yo boys. They were all having a blast together. It wasn't just the older boys indulging the younger kids -- they were all truly enjoying having fun together. ;-)

Then in the sideyard some high school girls were giving advice to a group of rambunctious kids who were playing "King of the Mountain" and others who were climbing trees, but they were also playing with a 4yo boy w/ CP, helping him pick flowers and bring them to his mom and making him laugh. There was no sense of anything forced or awkward about any of this, and nothing was scripted. These kids just expect to have fun playing with all age levels and all different types of people.

I like that.

Once again, I am so glad I have the privilege of homeschooling my kids! ;-)


Blessings,

Kim