For those who think homeschoolers are not 'socialized''?

Question

This is a list of things we do for homeschool.

Skate Days

Bowling Days

Holiday Parties

Art/ History/ Science Fair

Talent Showcase

Park Days/ Picnics

Teen Activities

SACH Physical Fitness Program

Kick-Off Meeting/ Expo

Entrepreneur Day

Capital Day

Service Projects

Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge

Future Business Leaders of America - Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA)

Field Day

SACH Baseball

Mom's Night Out

SACH Boys Historical War Club

Family Campouts

Highschool Lab Classes

SACH Kindergarten Graduation

SACH Highschool Senior Graduation

End- of- the -Year Recognition & Awards Family Picnic

SACH Reading Rewards Program (SRR)

Pizza Hut Book-it

Six Flags Reading Club

Math- A -Thon

Karate Class

Operation Christmas Child - Service Project

Homeschool 4H Club

Gymnastics

Baseball

Football

Cheerleading

Boy Scouts

Foreign Language Classes

Civil Air Patrol

Colonial/ Victorian Adventures Day Camp for Girls at Southern Oaks

Answer 1

To add to that, I'm not even currently a member of a co-op or homeschool association, and I still have/had/will soon participate in:

Neighborhood friends

A playground

Soccer

Bowling

Trips to the Thomas Alva Edison estate

Art gallery

VIP Braille lessons

VIP Orientation and mobility

VIP Teen Transition Program (for college bound blind teenagers)

Band

Art

Guitar lessons

Piano lessons

Job Shadowing

A boyfriend <3 <3

Fencing

Volunteering at the library

Volunteering at a preschool

Volunteering at a senior center

Art club

Science fair

Medieval festival

Kiyaking

Museum of Science and Industry

SunSplash Waterpark

NFB conventions

People to People Student Ambassadors

Toastmasters International

Horseback riding

Computer Programming/Robotics

Teen Advisory Committy at the library

Duel Enrollment at Edison College

Technology conventions

travel

Online friends

friends met through friends/through boyfriend

Movie nights

the mall

Poetry Club at library

OM

skating, bowling, arcade, gocart track with friends

Summer camps

College Experience programs

Chess club at library

Book discussion group

Going to watch my friends' sporting events

Youth center

Service projects I organized myself

Theater

Concerts

and I'm sure I'm forgetting things. These are just the things that I do for socialization/experiences. The fun things at least. I socialize when I'm doing less pleasant things as well like making appointments, dealing with college admissions officers, helping with groceries, running erands, etc. But there are still LOADS of activities in the community that I just don't have time for/interest in. The list goes on and on. Any community with a Parks and Recreation department will have well socialized homeschoolers.

***EDIT*** To DHC

"So then if you are doing all of these millions of activities... when exactly are you getting your work done, and how are you focusing on your grades and performance?? Sounds like you are over exerting yourself to try to be involved in EVERY available outlet... There is no way that you do ALL of these activities with your group.... they may be offered, but, I doubt that you actually attend them all...."

I think people really need to stop and calculate how much time is wasted in public school. Sure, your typical PUBLIC schooler would NEVER have time to do everything on these lists. 7 hours of sitting in school (most of this time is spent waiting for teachers and students to get their acts together and get to the LEARNING), at least 2-3 hours of homework, a good hour or so of studying (homework and studying are not the same thing), figure a hafl hour to an hour in transit (longer if you take the bus), an hour getting ready in the morning, and then you have those pesky human needs... eating and sleeping. Your typical public schooler is probably only capable of participating in maybe 2 activites outside of school, probably very few (if any) independent (non-field-trip) visits to places in the community, and only really has time to spend with friends while IN school. Some may do more. Some less. But for most kids, there just isn't enough time for nearly as many things that we've listed here.

The thing with homeschooling is we don't waste nearly as much time. A typical school day for a homeschooler may be no more than 4 hours. Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the student. Homeschoolers don't cheat. We learn from natural consequences and many realize that cheating really does hurt the student and no one else. We don't slack off. If we did then there wouldn't be so many thousands of us getting into (and graduating from) universities all across the nation. Just look at the evidence. We cover just as much if not more than they do in public school, but because of a more efficient system,  added flexability, and just over all good time management, we get it done faster and can MAKE time for all the things we've listed. I can't speak for everyone, but I can tell you honestly that I do EVERYTHING on my list, and more I didn't bother listing (or will be starting in the near future). Surely we don't do all of it in one day. That's a ridiculous assumption. But I certainly do it all, and regularly at that. BROADEN YOUR MIND! Nothing is impossible. I'm on my way to UF and scholarships, and I didn't get there by slacking off and playing all day. But I still made time for a social life.

Answer 2

This "Question" was obviously meant to either, a: vent or b: start a discussion about how wonderful homeschooling is.  I think posting this as a question on this service seems to miss the point of yahoo! aswers.  Where really is the question?  I don't mean to offend, but it seems out of place.  

However, as a topic of discussion, it is a valid one.  My experience with homeschooling is limited -- I had a college (late 1990's)  acquaintance who was homeschooled through high school; my five nieces are homeschooled (currently).  Without going into detail, in both cases all of these people were a little "off".  Was it due to the TYPE of socializing they got -- I don't know.

There are pros and cons to many things in life, and from what I've gathered, there seems to be two main "pros" to homeschooling:  1) a better education, and 2) control over your kids' interactions with others.  Which are great reasons, however is there any certainty from family to family that these things are guaranteed?  My nieces are taught by their (public) high-school  educated mother -- who, by the way has been pregnant alot (ahem, 5 kids).  You may have control over your kids' interactions, and may socialize them, but what about diversity?  Is the laundry list of activities done with other homeschooled families?  

I'm sure there are problems in public/private educations, but homeschooled kids miss out on:

The first day of school

The LAST day of school

"Graduating" to the next grade

A schedule

Lunch Hour

Recess

Christmas break, spring break, summer break and the first day back from these breaks

First crush, first kiss

Coming home from school

Passing notes

Making the honor roll

Going to dentention

Going to school with the same kids & building friendships EVERY DAY

Learning to become a part of something that isn't your church/family/homeschool group.

Struggling long division who are also struggling with long division

Feeling embarassment

Being away from your mom/siblings for more than 1 or 2 hours.

I'm not sure about this, so I'll post a question -- but learning about 'STUFF -- Christopher Columbus, Martin Luther King, Halloween, Valentine's Day, Art, Music, Sports.

Answer 3

So then if you are doing all of these millions of activities...  when exactly are you getting your work done, and how are you focusing on your grades and performance??  Sounds like you are over exerting yourself to try to be involved in EVERY available outlet...  There is no way that you do ALL of these activities with your group....  they may be offered, but, I doubt that you actually attend them all....

Answer 4

Wow...good for homeschoolers. I know several that are WAY more introverted than other children who have been in a public school system. It's a matter of sociology. You may do all of those things but you're still not getting out and learning about society and how to act in it when you grow up and have no other choice. Better to learn how to be social when you are young rather than when you are older and it's more awkward to talk to people.

Answer 5

Thank you so much for this!  I am a homeschooling mother and I get tired of hearing the socialization thing.  I do more with my kids that any school ever would.  People just do not understand things that are different.  I would rather my kids get socialized my way instead of our crazy, educational system now.

Answer 6

Let's not forget

Dance

Karate

volunteering at the SPCA

Youth Group

Club456 (church club for 4 th - 6th graders)

CO-OP

That's what my weeks look like.

Answer 7

There's probably 10 people all saying the same thing. I just want to say that it all depends what kind of parent you have or what homeschool groups are available to you. I did almost none of the things on the lists when I was homeschooled and actually I did spend a lot of time by myself just reading the books. maybe my situation wasn't typical but I just wanted to share my experience with homeschooling.

Answer 8

Boy, you seem rather on the defensive.  Anyways, it is great that you are exposing your children to all the things you listed above, but you are still doing a disservice to your children.  

When they enter college or the workforce, they will have to sit through classes and meetings where they are bored.  They will have to be around people with different views and opinions.  They will have no idea how to conduct themselves in these situations because you never gave them the opportunity to.  They will not have to stand up and do a cheer or throw a football while sitting through a four hour meeting with their boss.

My niece is home schooled, and my sister-in-law and I have this conversation, in which she gets very defensive about her decision.  If you really are comfortable with your decision, why the defensiveness.

Answer 9

I have nothing against homeschooling, however the details you stated in your additional details is why i am in favor of public schools. No different than "socializing" your puppy, your kids need to witness:

Jerks

Bully's

Druggies

Dealers

s***s

Gold diggers

Corrupt Teachers

Clicks

Thieves

etc....

Why? because eventually, you will have to deal with people like that. whether its at 19 when in college, or 28 in corporate America. Its less of a shock when your 28 and your dealing with popularity contest at work when you have already conquered that issue in middle school.

You can't shelter kids forever, and discussing and education only goes so far.

Answer 10

My home schooling program offered the same thing.

I did most of my socializing through play dates and work and home-school once a year testing.

Though I may not be above average in the social department I have a very good balance.

Thank you for standing up to the ignorant yuppies out there :)

Answer 11

Another poster replied:

<<Boy, you seem rather on the defensive. Anyways, it is great that you are exposing your children to all the things you listed above, but you are still doing a disservice to your children.

When they enter college or the workforce, they will have to sit through classes and meetings where they are bored. They will have to be around people with different views and opinions. They will have no idea how to conduct themselves in these situations because you never gave them the opportunity to. They will not have to stand up and do a cheer or throw a football while sitting through a four hour meeting with their boss.>>

A public or private school is not the only place to experience situations of boredom or working with others or dealing with bullies, etc. Even among homeschoolers, these situations do occur. Meeting with homeschool groups and other community groups and youth groups does provide a variety of situations for homeschooled kids to experience socialization.

To say that parents are doing their kids a "disservice" by homeschooling them because they are not properly "socialized" is invalid, especially if you do not personally have the experience of homeschooling your children or being homeschooled yourself.

You are right, when students enter college or the work force, they will face times of boredom. They do, however, learn to be around other people and work with others (who may even have opposing views on various issues) long before college and working. Some do this while in a traditional school, others achieve it while homeschooling. Homeschooling does not mean being at home all the time; this is, in my opinion, the biggest misconception about homeschooling by folks who do not truly understand what homeschooling is all about.

Answer 12

Sam and I, we are NOT defensive!  Just sick to death of the pathetic assumptions that anti-homeschoolers make about OUR children, you know, our kids, the ones YOUVE NEVER MET!!  Why do you assume you can make insulting comments about our kids?  Why do you then resent us responding?  We dont care what YOU think of our choices, we are comfortable with them!  We just dont like your rudeness, to us and our kids.

Answer 13

I agree, people just don't understand.  I home school 3 through graduation and we were always busy taking then to viola lessons, drum lessons, piano lessons, swim team practice, co-op, etc.  Two of our children are in college and one is serving in the military and they now thank us for having home schooled them.  You rock!

Answer 14

People only say that because home schooling is not the norm.  They don't understand and assume home schooled kids are stuck at home.  I looked into it once, but decided I'm not the best teacher for my kids.  It is personal preference and I applaud you for doing so.  Keep your chin up.  Some of the best behaved kids I know are home schooled btw.

Good luck!

;)

Answer 15

For those who read this and still do not think that home schoolers are socialized and won't do good in the real world look at these stats:

Social, Emotional, and Psychological Development



·              The home-educated are doing well, typically above average, on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development. Research measures include peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.



·              Homeschool students are regularly engaged in social and educational activities outside their homes and with people other than their nuclear-family members. They are commonly involved in activities such as field trips, scouting, 4-H, political drives, church ministry, sports teams, and community volunteer work.



Success in the “Real World” of Adulthood



The research base on adults who were home educated is growing; thus far it indicates that they:

participate in local community service more frequently than does the general population,

vote and attend public meetings more frequently than the general population, and

go to and succeed at college at an equal or higher rate than the general population.



General Interpretation of Research on Homeschool Success or Failure



It is possible that homeschooling causes the positive traits reported above. However, the research designs to date do not conclusively “prove” that homeschooling causes these things. At the same time, there is no evidence that homeschooling causes negative things compared to institutional schooling. Future research may better answer the question of causation.





Sources



The above findings are extensively documented in one or more of the following sources, all (except one) of which are available from www.nheri.org:

A Homeschool Research Story, Brian. D. Ray, 2005, in Homeschooling in Full View: A Reader.

·         Home Educated and Now Adults: Their Community and Civic Involvement, Views About Homeschooling, and Other Traits, Brian D. Ray, 2004.

Home schooling: The Ameliorator of Negative Influences on Learning, Brian D. Ray, Peabody Journal of Education, 2000, v. 75 no. 1 & 2, pp. 71-106.

Homeschoolers on to College: What Research Shows Us, by Brian D. Ray, Journal of College Admission, 2004, No. 185, 5-11.

National Education Association. (2005). Rankings and estimates: A Report of School Statistics Update. Retrieved 7/10/06 online http://www.nea.org/edstats/images/05rank...

Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling, Brian D. Ray, 2005.

Answer 16

TO SAM AND I I:  You are exactly right.  I was homeschooled K-12 and now that I am in college I am not used to being bored at all!  I am not used to waiting for a late teacher, waiting for everyone to get off their phone so class can start, waiting to move on because a basic math problem is too hard for half the class, waiting waiting till the next class period to officially move on (even though I have read ahead).  If only I had learned how to be bored in public school...  I wish my parents would have sent me to school so I could have grown up being bored and sitting still all the time.  I guess they raised me wrong when they taught me that learning should be fun.

Obviously I am being sarcastic.  What does being bored have to do with a child's education at all?  Where do you people come up with this c**p?!

Answer 17

A child is a human being, "socializing" means teaching them to get along in society.

When people ask me what I do about making sure that my girls make friends with their peers, I remember what someone told me once . . . who do I want their peers to be?

I have answered that with my choice to homeschool.

Answer 18

congratulations

Answer 19

To Gyasi M:

I am a homeschooler. Just because I am does not mean that all homeschoolers never see the bad in the world. It is all around us. And if the people saying all of the millions of things they do to socialize, don't you think you would learn how to deal with it in doing these extra-cirricular activities? I play softball and have been for many years, and just so you know there are normal people there, and so I learn to deal with them there. Being homeschooled, we have the blessing of our parents teaching us the RIGHT way to deal with bad things. And at some point, when they feel we are ready, they stop hovering over us and allow us to deal with them for ourselves, giving their guidance and input when they feel it's needed. Homeschoolers know better right from wrong than most of the people in the world because they get their knowledge straight from their parents.

Answer 20

I just have to say to the person who stated blatantly that this questioner was either lying or not studying that you need to take your blinders off. It is completely conceivable to participate in all these activities and still have time for book lessons. I know kids who keep busy schedules and make straight A's too.

Answer 21

Congrats, your kids are involved in the community. But do they everb get to do things without you being there? Aer they ever independant... If you home school them forever, won't they miss out on taking responsibility for their own homewprl and learning?

Answer 22

Homeschool does afford more opportunities for socialization, going places, and a wider range of activities and experiences. Homeschool allows for flexibility as far as the amount of time spent on schoolwork and when the work in done. Students in traditional schools have set hours and no flexibility about what and when they'll learn.

So just ignore people who are ignorant about it. Why is it important to convince others that something that's working for you is "better" than something else? Different things work for different people. Plus, not everyone is able to consider homeschooling. Even if you were to prove to the entire world that homeschooling is better, most people would still have to be educated in traditional schools.

Answer 23

Homeschool is a social as you make it,  I too have along list of things I do a a homeschool mom, and it is with a group of other mom's and we make time for a lot of different things that our community offer us at a discount because we homeschool , like the museums, civil war reenactments, and parks to name just a few

and I too get the lecture from some that my children do not get enough socializing...... what they miss is the lower education, immorality and drug

Answer 24

I was homeschooled. I was still socialized. I had many good friends. I took art classes at a local center. I went to church and sunday school and there are friends there. I went to tutoring (with a few other kids) twice a week. I didn't do as much as you do, but I'm still socialized. YOU DONT HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL TO MAKE FRIENDS. I go to a private school now, and making friends is a little easier, but I'd like to say NO HOMESCHOOLED KIDS STAY INSIDE ALL DAY LONG AND DO NOTHING BUT SCHOOL WORK AND DONT HAVE MANY FRIENDS. I did fun projects and read cool books and science experiments, and lots of social stuff.

Answer 25

By participating in those activities, she IS getting out and learning about the world.  

Students who go to traditional schools are the ones who will have to learn when they are older.  Real life does not involve spending all day sitting in a classroom with your peers.  Even college resembles homeschooling more closely than it does public school.

So to answer the question, I think the problem is ignorance.  Because most children go to traditional schools, people assume that is the best place to learn how to interact in the world, and they assum homeschoolers are at a disadvantage.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  You learn how to interact in the world by actually participating in it, not by sitting in an artificial classroom environment.

Answer 26

Gyasi said:

-------------------

No different than "socializing" your puppy, your kids need to witness:

Jerks

Bully's

Druggies

Dealers

s***s

Gold diggers

Corrupt Teachers

Clicks

Thieves

etc....

---------------------------

No different than socializing a puppy!?

Well, I will add to your list then...

murderers

rapists

child molesters

terrorists

money laundering

organized crime

gang violence

human trafficking

organized crime (e.g. mafia)

car theft

vandalism

bribery

weapons of mass destruction

bank robbery

burglary

public indecency

pornography

---- I hope everyone realizes that I am joking and trying to illustrate how ridiculous is the answer to which I refer.

Sorry... as a mature adult I would not stay in a situation that offered exposure to the wonderful things that you list.  I have had the good fortune of trying several careers and I've worked for companies large and small.  

I have a choice of where I work, where I live, who I associate with and so on...

And, I am teaching the same to my child!

I am quite proudly one bad dog raising one really bad puppy!

----

Good dog!

Rollover.

Sit.

Stay.

Play dead.

---

As to the question: You name it, if we want it, we will find a way to do it.  Bark! Bark! Bark!