Debunking Homeschool Myths: Myth Number One-Socializing
I am sure we all have heard different assumptions or comments about homeschooling, at one time or another. It is unfortunate, but a lot of people make their conclusion about the topic without experiencing it for themselves. It would be silly for a review critic to rate a movie if they have never even seen it, right? Well, the same goes for homeschooling. So many people have an opinion on it because of how society has painted it, or from “hearsay” from another person. Whatever the case, we are going to talk about several common myths, in the next couple of weeks, about homeschooling and debunk them together!
Myth number one, possibly the most common, is that homeschooled kids do not socialize. This can not be any further from the truth! Let us talk about institutional schools first before we dig into homeschool.
In institutional schools, we have children organized according to age/grade and divided into 3 schools, elementary, middle, and high school. Now, when in society or “real life” do we only socialize with adults our own age? Never! In our careers or any aspect of life, we are interacting with people of all ages. How does it help our kids in institutional schools to only be with children their own age? I was a public school student when I was younger. In the schools that I went to, it was almost socially unacceptable to interact with the kids in the younger grades. I remember a time when I was in seventh grade and an eighth grader was talking to me and my friends. He was then made fun of by his peers for interacting with the “little kids” on the bus. The grading system is flawed and, in my opinion, promotes a pecking order among the kids.
Another remark that I remember hearing from several of my teachers when I was in school was “school is not a time for socializing.” I can guarantee that I probably heard that said each year from my teachers. I find it quite comical when someone hits me with the “social” comment when institutional schools are not a place where kids truly socialize in a way that will benefit them in adulthood, yet, society has engrained in our heads that for some reason, institutional schools are a place for socializing.
Let us talk about socializing in the homeschool lifestyle. I am going to speak from my experience personally. My kids are interacting with kids and adults of all ages daily. There are a variety of children ranging in age in the co-op I direct. I love the comradery it has produced. The older kids truly enjoy helping and spending time with the younger kids. It gives the older children an opportunity to see that they can be an example to their younger peers. It takes away the pecking order mentality that you so often see in institutional schools. It also helps our younger kids learn how to talk to older children and not shy away from an opportunity to do so. All the kids understand that no one is any more important just because someone is older.
Another way my kids are socializing daily is through get-togethers with friends and play groups. We also are blessed that our kids can be a part of several extracurricular activities where, again, they are socializing with kids of all ages. I truly believe that homeschooled children have more of an opportunity to socialize than their institutional school-going peers.
Well, there you have it. Myth number one has been officially debunked! So, next time someone hits you with “homeschool kids do not socialize,” you can now explain how incorrect and off-based that really is. Stay with me and join me next week while we debunk another common homeschool myth!