Socialization is such a “hot” topic in the homeschool community. Outsiders want to know how our kids are ever going to function in the “normal” world if they aren’t socialized in the school system. I never set out to actively socialize my kids. It’s my opinion that socialization comes from just living life. If you are living life with your kids, it’s virtually impossible not to socialize them. There are just so many opportunities available in most communities. Here’s a peek at our favorite ways to socialize {make friends and interact with others outside our home}.
Story Time at Your Local Library
One of our favorite things to do when my kids were little was to attend our local library’s story time. My oldest would go check out books while his younger siblings were in story time. When he’d checked out what he wanted, he would bring them in the story time room and read in a back corner. We did the preschool one with my middle son and the mommy and me with my daughter. We loved Ms. Karen, our children’s librarian. She was so engaging and shared some fabulous stories and crafts. We looked forward to seeing our story time friends each week.
MOPS ~ Mothers of Preschoolers
If you have a local MOPS chapter in your area, I highly recommend checking it out. It was a life saver for me when my kids were little. I started when Isaac, my middle, was four. Logan was eight, and too old for the “childcare” provided. The first year, he brought his independent work with him and worked. The following year more homeschool families joined, and the older kids became “helpers.” My MOPS group rallied around my boys when their little sister was born. They were there to take the boys for playdates when this momma needed sleep after Em was born. We all made some lasting friendships in that group. We moved when Emma turned 5. We moved back to the area last year when Emma was 10, and she immediately reconnected with her bestie from MOPS.
Homeschool Groups
If you have older children, it might be a good idea to find a homeschool group. Whether you choose to join a co-op or not, finding other homeschool families to network with is a great way to socialize in these years. We were lucky enough, when my boys were younger, to find a group of homeschool families in my church. We did park days and play dates with these families. Even my youngest kids had friends with similar lifestyles that they were able to connect with.
Church
Sunday School is wonderful place to make friends. We love getting together with our church groups to eat lunch after church on Sunday. We’ve had family picnics at the park. We’ve attended churches that had family nights at the local minor league ballgames. In all of these activities, kids have the opportunity to make friends and interact with adults honing their social skills without the need of a classroom.
Sports/Dance
Sports teams and dance classes have so much to offer to little ones. They learn to take instruction from others. They learn to work together with other children. They learn to encourage each other and be good sports.
What are some ways you get out and get social with your little ones?
Great post! I remember worrying about the social aspect at first. Once you think about it, homeschooling actually provides more opportunities to socialize in different settings. This was one of the points that helped my husband come around in supporting the decision to homeschool.
You are absolutely right. I believe that homeschooling – and the opportunity to interact with people of all ages – offers a more real-world way to hone social skills.
Even though I don’t homeschool my kids, I think these are some great suggestions on ways to meet other families and make friends! Thanks for sharing this on the #SHINEbloghop! 🙂