What about Socialization? Kids need to be in school with kids their own age to learn about proper interaction, bullying and all the lessons of kids their own age they could not possibly get at home.
This is probably one of the most frequent responses a homeschooler gets, a myth that never ceases to surprise me or baffle me that people actually think this way. It never fails to leave me laughing at the sheer ignorance of this posed question of theory. Do people actually think we keep the kids in a dark closet their whole life? Being homeschooled or unschooled does not mean we NEVER leave home, it does not mean we keep the kids in a room………..never to see another human being, it does NOT mean they have no friends, they never interact in the real world and that we keep them hidden away for eternity. Why do folks think the child does not receive social interaction? Perhaps a few homeschoolers living in remote secluded areas find social interaction hard to come by, but this is not the majority of the unschoolers front.
The kids socialize with people of ALL ages, the human being was not meant to ONLY be with people their own age but rather with people who have common or similar interests. While my kids have friends their own age…………..they also have friends of ALL ages from toddler to elderly because they find them interesting to be with.
They socialize and learn that not all people, kids and adults alike are nice, that some people are mean just because and that many are nice by being part of the world in real everyday circumstances. They have been to parks and learned bullying first hand, they have helped elderly neighbors because they knew it was the right thing to do and enjoyed learning from the elderly neighbors. While I have one child who is shy, my daughter is very social and outgoing making friends wherever she goes with no age barriers.
Kids do NOT need to spend their days ONLY socializing with kids their own age, certainly my friends are not all my age……they are of all ages because I find them interesting to spend time with and enjoy their company.
By being in the real world, the children learn to interact with a variety of people, ages and ethnic backgrounds from the variety of places we go, sometimes they only see that person one time and other times they make a lasting friendship.
Lack of socialization is NOT an issue for many homeschooled families and the constant bombarding of being questioned about socialization in fact gets old. It is hard to understand that so many believe they children never receive socialization, they believe the children are always home and never see anyone or go anywhere, they actually believe we keep the kids in a cave! I have 2 adult children that went to public school, one was outgoing and social, the other very shy. Now that I unschool my 2 younger children, I have one shy and the other outgoing and a social butterfly………..having to do with their personalities and no bearing on the fact they went to public school or are homeschooled. It is that simple.
They have first hand experience with people of all sorts, mean and nasty as well as kind, giving and a sense of community, the age does not matter so much as the commonalities or interesting aspects that bring 2 together. Yes they both have friends their own age but as I have already said, they also love spending time and socializing with ALL ages.
Folks, we do not raise our kids in a dark hole in the ground, we let the light of living touch our children, by living, they are able to socialize to their heart’s content. Let there be light………………..
Unschooling We Stand 