It is important that you meet frequently with other homeschool parents. Homeschooling does have its downsides, however, and one of the most popular shibboleths is that home-schooled children do not have the same socialization and interaction with peers as they would in a traditional public school environment. This is an old wives tale. Some studies have shown that home-schooled children are more sociable and better adjusted than their peers.

Also, as a Homeschooling parent, you are dealing with many pressures. After all, the quality of your child’s education is entirely in your hands. And it’s a good bet that you are most likely trying to address many questions of your own. There’s one good way to address this issue. Make it a point to visit, or at least telephone, other Homeschooling parents on a regular basis. Having regular visits or meetings with other homeschooling parents will give you an opportunity to exchange ideas and teaching techniques with other homeschooling parents. It will also give your homeschoolers a chance to meet with other children so they too can exchange their own ideas and to socialize and interact with each other.

Homeschoolers don’t have to be hermits.

Children can be very impressionable, especially at a young age. They may be concerned that they don’t “go to school’ like other children and think they are different. Really, all any child wants is fit in. It’s important when homeschooling your child that you acknowledge the fact that not everybody homeschools. You can not, and should not, try to keep this hidden from your child. At some point he or she will realize that lots of other kids go to public and private schools. Having frequent visits with other homeschooling parents can help your child because they will see that they are not the only ones.

Any fear your child may have of not being normal will disappear by seeing and interacting with the other homeschoolers. There are many alternatives for you to meet and interact with other homeschool parents. One of the best ones is to incorporate it into the children’s education.

Stay in touch

Staying in touch with your homeschooling group is important. Find out how the other parents have scheduled the same subjects you will be teaching. Arrange field trips to museums and science fairs to duplicate the social experiences of traditionally schooled children. You can also suggest group homeschool projects to augment the social aspects of your children’s social education and perspective. Keep in regular touch with other parents, and if you find yourselves studying the same subjects at the same time, suggest an appropriate field trip – in this way you can replicate the public and private school experience of combining your children’s educational and social time.

When studying zoology a trip to the zoo would be enjoyable and educational for both you and your children when conducted with another family. Zoology very easily lends itself to an always popular, entertaining, and educational trip to the municipal zoo. This should be an enjoyable day, and a needed break, for all of the families involved. If other parents are also studying biology with their children suggest a joint gardening project for their consideration.

Benefits of your child’s social and educational development

Your child’s educational and social developments are important aspects of his learning and can certainly benefit by regular contact with other homeschooling parents. By staying in contact with other homeschooling parents you can improve your own teaching methods, and at the same time give your children exposure to other home-schooled children in your community. This will help to allay any feelings of uniqueness they may develop and show them that they are indeed a part of a larger community.

Filed under: Homeschooling Basics

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