http://learninfreedom.org/socialization.html Here is an interesting short article regarding the socialization of children with some results of a study done comparing the maturity level's of homeschooled children to public schooled children. Since the homeschooled children spent more time around adults than groups of other children their age it is not surprising that in the study they were shown to be more mature than their public schooled counterparts.
That's a good one for someone to copy and have on hand in case someone mentions the "S word" to them!
Since this thread deals with socialization, I need to vent about something that just happened this evening at my house, even though I might digress just a bit from the original point of this thread. My sister and her 15-year-old daughter stopped by and my husband was razzing my niece because when she used our computer she left her email open and my husband saw some eFlurtz matchmaking stuff. There was a list of boys' names with a compatibility percentage to my niece. My niece said that everyone in school takes this survey and it was actually done during an assembly. (Later she said the survey was optional, but done at school nonetheless). At that point I expressed shock that something like that would be done at school. Since my sister and her family are so against me homeschooling I couldn't resist a tongue-in-cheek "Well, now I know for sure I'll send my kids to high school being that there's a free match-making service offered!!" At this point my niece replied "Oh my gosh, Aunt Kathy, you twist everything around. The school gets money for it!" And then she started ranting in a rude manner about how my kids are going to be so weird and have no friends because they're homeschooled and "all homeschooled kids are weird." (I guess my niece has never noticed that we can have, on any given day, as many as 13 kids playing in our yard). Interestingly, my sister didn't say anything, although I certainly would've punished my kids for talking to an adult family member like that! I'm not a prude; sure,that matchmaking stuff is fun when you're a certain age, but to have it promoted in school!?!? Well, as I told my niece, I won't need to ever vote "yes" for a school levy since they're making money exploiting the kids. . . .and we are the weird ones?!?!?:roll:
I think your story was right on the mark, or On-Topic, as it were. When people ask me about socialization, I ask them, "So.. YOUR kids are "Social Retard" in the Summer, when school is out? Or are there OTHER forms of socialization than just school? ... We get our work done quick, then go play, while ya'll are still sitting in a class, unable to "Socialize". That usually ends it right there.
hehe I just roll my eyes at people who use the "s" word with me except when it's family and then I point out she is with other kids everyday. My mom seems to have forgotten about the socalization thing.. check this out from yesterday: Sami: Nana! I just made a new friend, she moved in next door! Nana: Is she nice to you? Does she obey grownups? Sami: uhhhh (Sami gives me the phone) Nana: IS this little girl an OK playmate? IS she teaching Sami BAD things??!!??! Me: They only played for an hour mom. Nana: What did they play? Were you watching them? You just don't know about random people moving in! LOL She went from 'your kid is going to think she is a social outcast' to 'Protect her from EVERYONE! Especially 5 yo girls living next door!' Actually I'm glad my mom didn't HS me. She would have been the type of HS mom that locks her kid in the house and never lets them see other people. Dont get me wrong, I love her, but can we say overprotective? LOL
I tell ya, Syele, you gotta watch those perverts dressed as 5YOs!!! We had a couple looking at the house across the street, and they had two younger children with them!!! They appeared Hispanic. Rachael said, "Hey, cool! Maybe they could teach us Spanish...."
ROFL Yeah actually that IS what Sami and this girl were doing... Sami has been learning a little spanish from a tape and so she was telling this girl about it and the girl helped her with counting. Sami was showing off that she can tell you her favorite color in Spanish. Honsetly, I think the little girl needs some help with her english.
Here's more on Socialization at Paula's Archives. You may find this interesting and helpful too. http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/socialization.htm
