Socializing

Socializing. It's why parents send their children to daycare, preschool and then onto Kindergarten / the school system. When you mention to someone that you homeschool, one of the first things they bring up is "Well how will you socialize them?".  Homeschool moms and dads usually chuckle on the inside and then say their kids have plenty of chances to socialize.

I started home schooling less than 2 weeks ago, and honestly, I'm trying to find a break from being social! Between park meet ups, not back to school picnics, birthday parties, community events, choir and dance lessons to start up soon, plus the neighborhood kids that they play with almost daily, there are lots of opportunity to socialize your children if you homeschool.  I have also signed my daughter up for activities through my home school board - 2 afternoons of drama class, 1 trip to a fire hall and an afternoon at an indoor climbing wall over the next 2 months and monthly meet ups for connections and gym time. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it all!

waiting for the fireworks at our friend's community league Party in the Park

How do adults socialize? They make small talk with the grocery store clerk, they interact with their co-workers (a tight knit group of people of different ages that need to work together, similar to a family), and they attend functions and gatherings (birthday parties or weddings and usually people of different ages in attendance). The same activities that my children are exposed to.  They are learning to say thank you after receiving their cookie in the bakery department of the grocery store or say hello to the store greeter. They are learning how to clean up after themselves and help out other members of the family by doing chores like emptying the dishwasher and feeding the pets. They are learning how to play with kids of different ages at birthday parties. They are socializing in so many ways.