Wow, I thought I was doing good to get the kids out of the house, forget about going out of the country.
UGH!!! SOCIALIZATION AGAIN!! Some people are SO dense.. My kids are more active now than they were when they were being educated in the Public School System. And they are learning SO much more than they did with more time to be kids and SOCIALIZE.
I wish people would realize that homeschooled kids don't just sit around at HOME all day being sheltered by their parents and never meeting other kids.
I am so tired of people believing that only the public school can teach my children social skills. I didn't learn not one social skill in school, I learned how to sit at a desk for 8 hours and keep quiet and listen to the teacher lecture.
My Cousin has a DD in First grade... His is AGHAST at my educational choice.... Get this... My DD 5 has a birthday party with 25 kids.... His has ONE friend... Take THAT! Humph!
Socialization is one of the main reasons I homeschool! I don't want my kids to be socialized to follow the crowd, feel bad about themselves if they're not popular, and judge themselves by what others think of them.
Welcome, Barb! (We've had so many new people, I haven't had the time to greet everyone personally!) My husband is a public high school teacher. We met a young couple that was interested in hs'ing. Or rather, SHE was, and HE was a bit skeptical (TYPICAL!!!). He got talking with my DH. Turns out, this guy was a public high school teacher, too. And (of course!) he HAD to ask about SOCIALIZATION :roll:. My wonderful husband, who originally considered homeschool MY thing, is now a hard-nose hs'er. He suggested to this man that he spend just ten minutes in the school lunch room the next day, quietly observing the "socialization" going on around him, and then to call him (my DH) back to discuss if this was the"socialization" he WANTED for his daughter. The guy never did it; he didn't have to, because he knew EXACTLY what my DH was getting at! We simply tell people that this is God's direction for OUR family. It not judgmental in any way, as I expect them to follow God's lead for THEM, be that public, Christian, or homeschool. But they also have been basically told that if they disagree, they need to take it before God, not us. And when God tells us differently, we will change! That has quieted . Plus we're starting Year Ten, and family/friends are seeing the results. Both my dad and FIL had the same concerns about high school. Both mentioned them in very appropriate ways, and we were able to discuss it with them, and put their concerns to rest.
I agree completely!!! I can remember when I graduated from high school, how liberated I felt. I didn't have to worry about how I looked or what I liked anymore. I want my kids to feel like this their entire lives. For me, it is a strong point for homeschooling. It is such a happy life when you are free to wear what YOU want and like the things YOU like. I feel like I'm giving my kids the freedom to become real people (not just one of the herd) so much earlier in their lives.
Sorry to say but there are some Home school families that dont go anywhere and stay at home so the kids don't get out to talk with others. I have seen this through the years I try to get them active with our Co-op or our group but they don't, and next semester they are back to public or the kids are not doing anything still and they tell others how they hated Homeschooling. Yah well... Some moms just don't get it and wont interact with others. They are either lazy and dont make the effort, or don't know how to socialize themselfs is my theory. This gives us other homeschoolers who do meet with others a bad rep. There is a lot of kids who are in public that dont socialize either. I watched the other night this show called "Odd girl out" about a girl who gets bullied by other girls in her class by emails and internet and at school till she ended up trying to kill herself with overdose of pills. She ended up not having friends and fearing school so much she didnt want to go to school. It was a happy ending at the end she finally stood up for herself but if it wasnt for another new person that came to school to help her it would have ended up tragic. Back to the ABC special it was ok I did like the part about them talking about learning anywhere that was cool. We sometimes sit outside and do our classroom stuff tomorrow we do the Sea World Homeschool day Sam
I thought that overall, that was a very positive piece. The longer we HS, the easier it is for me to just laugh at the "socialization" issue. People just don't know! My oldest son has more friends (and better friends!) than he ever had while in school! I'm talking one close friend in school vs. a dozen that he chooses to do stuff with now. BUT, I will say that people like my sister-in-law perpetuate the stereotype of the sheltered homeschooled child. I feel so sorry for my nephew; it's just not funny. She is a social recluse, in the process of getting a divorce, and honestly, I believe she's one of the ones that hides behind HS'ing. Her son functions way below level, and every time we'd call them or visit, they were both plunked down in front of the TV or computer games. There's never any evidence that learning is going on...he is 8 and communicates like a 4 year old. IMO, he is so totally anti-social, he should be evaluated for autism (he shows other behaviors that indicate this as well). She never goes anywhere, never takes him out, doesn't even let him play outside. Sorry for the long rant, but I said all that because if she were the only perspective I had of HS'ing, it would be a very negative one. And it's such a "catch 22"...I don't want to report her and thus do something that would invite more government regulation into the HS process, because the vast majority of HS'ers I know are AWESOME parents with great kids and a committment to doing the right thing. But then there are these kids like my nephew, who fall through the cracks, and when/if they are discovered, give all of us a bad name. It infuriates me. (She recently moved to another state, and my MIL swears she's going to make SIL get help for herself and her son. We'll see.)
That reminds me of how we shushed my DH's mom about the socialization thing at school. Our DD had a birthday party at the zoo that I arranged with her gymnastics friends and she had about 14 people at her party. Her grandma had a second birthday party for her at her house where she invited ALL the kids from school. Of the 19 kids she invited from school only TWO came. She had one other friend come that was the daughter of her grandma's friend. A grand total of 3 kids! So much for school producing "socialization!" She has much better friends from gymnastics!
Thats a good word for them there are a lot of them out there sorry to say both public and homeschoolers but we get the bad rap for them.
Healthy social skills... are important for any child. Maybe PS promotes a more diverse and social atmosphere, maybe not. It really depends on what the teacher teaches. There are positive social skills and negative, being home schooled just means that I can guarantee that my child learns the positive. By the way, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. My "student" has nooo problem getting with the other kids, keeping her on the right education track, is another thing!
Psychologist Doctor Kevin Leman, says that "When a parent serves as the child's primary teacher, in school or in life, that parent has MORE influence. The child has a deeper understanding of who Mom and Dad are; the interaction generally fosters deeper friendships between parent and child, and an appreciation for the family's values." He writes that: 'Homeschooled kids tend to be very adept at getting along with older children, younger children, and adults. They tend to be less cliquish and more mature, in a variety of social settings. They are also less likely to get interested in the opposite sex at too young an age. He says that when a child feels secure at home; he or she may not crave emotional validation that comes from outside the home. ' Go Homeschool !
