How my Homeschoolers Socialise

This week our @HomeEdders challenge is “that socialising question.” I've written before about my thoughts on why socialising isn't just a school thing, so I'm going to write this response more in the form of how my daughters have socialised since becoming homeschooled.

My girls are both completely different when it comes to socialising. I've got an extrovert and an introvert. They actually started out in the school system, so I can tell you now that the fact that my youngest shies away from large groups of people and is quiet has nothing to do with the fact that she's homeschooled. She was just the same in the school environment and moving to home education actually helped her confidence.

Over the years they've had a variety of social interaction opportunities and each situation works out differently. They made close friends with some other homeschooled girls living local to us. They could potentially meet other homeschoolers on excursions, but rarely connected with any in particular. Then we have always done extra curricular activities, ranging from dance to rollerskating, and gymnastics. These things being longer term mean they've made connections, but they haven't kept in touch long term after finishing the activity. I guess you'd call them time of live friends.

I've encouraged them to make their own purchases when shopping, to get them used to day to day interactions. My eldest loved it, my youngest shied away from it, but managed just fine. They would interact with the staff at the library and I often got comments from adults about how polite they were.

They are used to interacting with adults as we have our own friends and family over. Socialising comes in all different forms, not just your own age range.

2019_MTR_5187.jpg

As my youngest reached her teens she did have a stage where she wanted to quit her gymnastics, but because their friends had moved away, this has become her only real social outlet. So I made a rule that she could only quit if she found something else to do, as I knew she'd end up isolating herself. Living in South Australia, we are in a situation where we need to travel to get to most places where they could interact with others, so I have to admit that socialising could become an issue when they don't have transport. She didn't end up quitting her gymnastics, but has started to try and find her enjoyment in it again.

I’m not one to force socialising, but in this case I have to concur that it is important to have social connections. We are social beings and even the most introverted of us needs human contact. This is a sport she loves and while I realise she may not keep long term friendships from it, she does enjoy the company it brings.

~○♤○~



0
0
0.000
15 comments
avatar

To listen to the audio version of this article click on the play image.

Brought to you by @tts. If you find it useful please consider upvoting this reply.

0
0
0.000
avatar

My middle child is the extravert (I'm pretty sure she wanted to try school because nothing could be better than being surrounded by people all day every day), and ironically she probably got that way from being homeschooled as she was the most painfully critically shy child imaginable, not that you would ever know it know XD I think if I'd forced her into the school system she would have stayed timid and shy but was able to become society's ideal because it was done in her own time.

0
0
0.000
avatar

That's interesting you bring that up. My eldest has always been a chatterbox at home, but outside the family was quiet and unsure of herself. I would have pegged her as an introvert back then. When she went to high school for a bit, she had the confidence just to do things her own way and not worry about what others were thinking of her, gaining quite a following, whether she wanted it or not. 😆 Then it was when she started working that she really came out of her shell. She knew she needed to be louder to be heard by the customers.

Posted using Partiko Android

0
0
0.000
avatar

What I recall from college, is that many of my homeschooled mates, were actually very confident and had a healthy eccentricity. I thought it was admirable. They seemed well adapted (more than other who had gone through regular schooling.
I agree with you. Socialising is so much more of a human thing than anything to do with school.

0
0
0.000
avatar

It's interesting that you say eccentricity. I wonder if this comes from having no pressure to conform to perceived social etiquette you might get in a school environment.

Posted using Partiko Android

0
0
0.000
avatar

General schooling can be tough for many kids. I was certainly not a good student and the social pressures I think eroded at the personality of the individual. I would say that they (homeschoolers) mostly had a healthy self esteem and confidence in their skills.

Yes, I think just not having typical social mold makes them unique.

0
0
0.000
avatar

I agree children need interaction but it socialization just sounds like a dirty word! 🤣 I think there were tons of kids in school that hated every minute of the social factor and they were not any better off in the end. Awesome your daughter has found that gymnastics is enjoyable again. I think that's a perfect way to socialize healthily.

Posted using Partiko iOS

0
0
0.000
avatar

I guess when you're in a building full of adolescents who mostly don't want to be there, but have no choice, then socialising could become a chore or a dirty word.

Posted using Partiko Android

0
0
0.000
avatar

You’ve been visited by @trucklife-family on behalf of Natural Medicine.
I love how you have stated that socializing comes in all different forms and certainly should not be confined to those of your own age. Our children have so much to learn from others. I also think it is really important how you have identified how different both your children are and that they have had the space to interact and figure things out for themselves. This really is essential in them becoming confident and well balanced adults.

Did you know that Natural Medicine now has it's own token, rewarding natural healing and health wisdoms? You can check out our front end, naturalmedicine.io If you've been involved in our community over the last year, check your wallets for LOTUS and stake them to start earning curation rewards!


Discord Delegate Here

0
0
0.000
avatar

Wow, I find that an interessting perspective to say, well, find something new before you quit another. I have mixed feelings with this. Yet I totatlly agree it is a thing up to you and I can not have a say, because I'm not into your family life and all of this. So my comment is not meant like that. What I thought of is the issue of smoking. It's said to be easier to quit a habit when you start some new. And this has been true for me. I started to be with non-smokers a lot in my early career as a technician for telecommunications. We had lot's of meetings in basements that time and it happened that I had been out in the cold smoking alone. Maybe the fact that nobody bugged me on that helped to just stop it one morning. I could not have planned this. So I don't know what this has to do with anything, but I thought it's worth sharing.

0
0
0.000