Homeschool Socialization - Developing Your Homeschool Childs Social Skills

Everyone needs friends, and, as parents, you and I both know we're responsible for our children's social lives as well as our own. As homeschoolers, we also know that kids don't need public school pressure in order to find friends . . . so I'm not going to waste your time with hundreds of statistics to support homeschoolers and socialization. Instead let's explore the top two ways to find life long friends for our children . . . and ourselves!

Support & Fun All Rolled into One!

The best way to find friends for your family is to research the homeschool groups in your area. Find the one that fits your lifestyle, religious beliefs, and educational views the best and join it! Here are some great sites online that will help you find groups in your area:

Homeschool Central

Learning 4 Life

Teach at Home

Support Groups in USA

After finding the group that's right for you, don't get overwhelmed with all of the activities: remember... homeschool group activities are opportunities, not obligations! A lot of groups are very organized and offer a lot of activities, but you shouldn't feel like it's an all or nothing kind of thing. Choose your activity and only do what you and your kids want to.

Too Much of a Good Thing? Try a Mini-Support Group!

On the other hand, a lot of the groups are very unorganized, and as soon as they find a smart and capable person who looks like they're willing to take control, they'll throw all the organization onto them. Don't let this be you! If your new homeschool group is unorganized, just try to get a list of names of homeschoolers in your area as well as the ages of their children. I would start with one family at a time (whose kids are close in age to my own) and begin calling them; this way, you can put together your own mini-support group! Smaller groups are better for getting to know each other, anyway. Once you've found a family, give them a call:

"Hi! I'm homeschooling my children in the same neighborhood as you. The information I got from the area homeschool group tells me that your two children are the same age as mine. Honestly, my kids and I are just looking for some homeschool friends in the area. I was wondering if there is some time this week that we could meet at the park and have a picnic. You pick the day and I'll bring my famous fruit salad!"

This approach works like a charm - and if the first family you call is uninterested, which is unlikely, call the next. Fear of rejection is not something you should worry about. Remember: you are now solely responsible for your younger children's interaction with new people - so take charge and make the first move! If not for yourself, then do it for them.

When you get together with your new play group, here are some great educational field trip ideas:

Fire station, library, park, beach, zoo, airport, art/history museum, children's museum, governor's office, police station, farm, factory, sporting events, local industry (bottling factory, wood mill, steel mill, coffee farm), parent's work place, seniors' homes, and any kind of outdoor activity (hiking, skiing, etc). The best thing to do is find out what you have in your area and use the resources at hand. You'll be surprised at what's out there!

Soccer & Brownies anyone?

The next best place to find friends is through extra curricular activities. See what's available in your city and talk with your kids. Friends come naturally when your kids are involved in activities with children their own age. Calling the YMCA for ideas is a great place to start. Here are some of our favorites:

Boy scouts, Girls scouts, Brownies, Soccer, Softball, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Swimming, Summer Camps, Youth Groups, College Classes for homeschoolers, Writing Clubs, 4-H, Choir, Spelling and Geography Bees, Game Days, Volunteering, Drama Clubs, Church Groups, Craft Classes, Book Clubs, Bowling Clubs, Skating, Teen Clubs, and just about anywhere else you can think of!

Stay-At-Home TIPS:

Try to get done with school work at the same time as the local schools. Then your children can play with the neighborhood kids just like everyone else.

If you have other kids in the family close in age, invite them over. My son is best friends with his cousin. We live close by and they are always calling or coming over. My son doesn't have a lot of friends, but he does have his "best friend." So life is good!

Don't forget about yourself! We're so engrossed with our kids that we forget about ourselves. Talk to your homeschool group or fellow soccer moms and plan a "girl's night out" and go to dinner or just get together at someone's house to talk, eat, and have a good time. No Kids Allowed! Schedule your "play time" just like you would for your kids and have fun doing it!

New friendships aren't hard to find as long as you stay open to new people. We just need to get out of the house (past the mailbox) and have adventures. These fun outings will encourage all of our families to naturally meet friends that we all need! Thanks for listening, and I hope some of these ideas will help you and your kids make and keep life-long friends.

Happy Homeschooling!

Kristi Hagen is a homeschooling parent and author of "A Parent's Guide to Homeschool". She's also one of the editors of HomeschoolViews.com, which publishes an informative monthly Homeschool Newsletter.

---

Parenting Your Teenager: How to Build Trust

``Mom, can I go to the mall with my friend Jenny?''``No, not after you came home late last night.''``Well, everyone else gets to.''``I don't care what everybody... Read More

What is Incest?

Incest is sexual activity, ranging from fondling to intercourse, between family members who aren't married to one another. State laws vary regarding the type of sexual activity... Read More

Why Scrapbooking Moms are the Secret Weapon in the War on Terror

There is a front line and a back end to every successful war effort. Rosie the Riveter was an icon during World War II and she was... Read More

Free Stuff for Twins: Incentives for Parents of Multiple Births

A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is to give birth to twins! You'll have twice the smiles, goos & coos, giggles, and firsts (first... Read More

10 Steps to School Year Success

One of the most important aspects of parenting, is ensuring that your child gets a good education. School is a place where your child not only learns... Read More

Baby Name Meanings

Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning "Who is like God"), I'm really proud of my name. And I think that I ? mostly - live... Read More

Tackle, Tackle

I don't know how people raise daughters because I have 2 sons. In my in-sanest moments, I have thought about having a daughter and have entertained thoughts... Read More

Eye-Opening Questions for Working Parents to Ask

I remember watching my 18-month-old son eat a big frosted cookie while I was carrying him out of the bakery. I asked him, "Can you give mommy... Read More

Why Creativity and Self-Expression are Important to Little Kids

Can you draw a straight line? Most adults don't consider themselves artistic. Parents do, however, worry about their toddler's art abilities. As a child care provider for... Read More

How Do Campers Protect Their Children?

Oh yes you have! Suddenly, "Where's Bobby?" You instantly realize that he is not where he is supposed to be-where you told him to stay! Little kids,... Read More

They Call it Puppy Love

My son is 6 yrs old. He came home the other day from school and stated that he had two girlfriends. I asked him who they were.... Read More

5 Ways To Tell If A Preschooler Is Living In Your House

1. You reheated the same cup of coffee three times this morning.2. There is always one more person in your bed in the morning, than there was... Read More

Reclaiming Her Identity: A Mothers Diary

After giving up my profession to become a wife, a mother of one, then suddenly seven made life very taxing for me. I soon came face to... Read More

Tips For a First-Time Dad

So you're going to become a father. Now is not the time to panic. You've got lots of time to get used to the idea, before that... Read More

Confident Children - Avoid Overparenting

For many years underparenting was perhaps the biggest problem facing children.Recently there has emerged another type of parenting that, whilst never as harmful as underparenting, can be... Read More

Developing a Fantastic Relationship with Your Child

Here's a scene: A parent "might suddenly grab a happliy playing child and shower him with excited hugs and kisses without warning." What's wrong with this picture?I... Read More

Homeschooling ? Is It Worth It?

Suppose that you rearrange your life to homeschool your child and the experiment fails? You may feel that you've disrupted your life and wasted a year of... Read More

Cooking With Your Kids Helps Develop Motor Skills for Preschoolers

Did you know that cooking with your kids is a natural way for them to develop motor skills? If you've never looked at cooking that way before,... Read More

Over-Indulgence And Over-Attentiveness - Two Dangers Parents Must Avoid!

We're all familiar with the over-indulgent parent. But there's another parenting practice that can be equally harmful: over-attentiveness.It's possible to be one or the other - or... Read More

Mom, Dad and the Big Brother

Software for parental control is a useful tool, if applied right. Millions of parents in the USA alone do check their kids' online behavior. In November 2004... Read More

Lets Pretend

Children explore the world around them and learn through pretend play. With so many passive activities like watching TV and playing video games, we sometimes need to... Read More

How Children Can Read Faster and Better

For most children, it is easy to learn to read faster. Their reading rate is often a matter of habit. But to begin, you may need to... Read More

Consistent Boundaries Makes Discipline Easier

Homes should be run by parents, not children. So many times, however, either the children are in charge or the parents are so eager to be liked,... Read More

Advocating for Your Child with LD

Advocate: you've probably heard the term before. But what does it mean to you? Advocating happens when you speak on behalf of someone else. You say for... Read More

Teach Your Child About Money

What are we teaching our children about money? Hopefully something!I remember when I was growing up, our family did not discuss money. Money was a taboo subject,... Read More

Parenting

This article on parenting is by a practicing relationship counsellor/therapist, and father.The following suggestions will be useful for any parent or caregiver who wants to improve their... Read More