Counting Down the 15 Most Popular Posts of 2015 #11

So here is post number 11:  (originally posted August 19th)

Socializing Those Homeschoolers

  It's funny that even though homeschooling is growing by leaps and bounds, even though there are literally hundreds of homeschool blogs and they all talk about all the activities their kids are involved in we all still get the dreaded socialization question:"Aren't you worried about their socialization?" 

 NO!! 

  My kids are way more social now than when they were in school.  At school they often got in trouble for socializing or else their friends ended up in a different classroom and they didn't have anyone that they really "clicked" with in their classroom for that particular year.  They had a limited number of children to pick from for the most part and heaven forbid if they had different interests from the "norm."  Don't get me wrong they made friends but there were only a few kids they saw outside the school day as well. 

   How do they make new friends now that we homeschool? I think that's what most people actually mean when they ask me about my kids socialization.  But really socialization is so much more than just making friends.  While friends are important socialization is the ability to relate, converse, and get along with ALL other people; not just those that were born in the same year.  My kids enjoy talking to adults, older kids, younger kids; pretty much anybody anywhere.  Rest assured we meet and make new friends everywhere all the time!  Really we do! 

Here are a few ways my kids socialize even though we homeschool:

1. The local park- have you ever watched a group of kids at a park?  Playing side by side somehow leads to conversations and group play.  They socialize on their own terms, make up their own rules, and find ways to cooperative play together.  
2. Homeschool groups and meet-ups- We're part of several different homeschool groups and that has enabled us to meet lots of new people.  We meet up with groups of homeschoolers at least a few times each month (sometimes each week!) and since new homeschoolers join our midst all the time we have lots of opportunities to make new friends. 
3. Field trips- While we often take off on our own to explore places, which we love, because my boys then have the opportunity to make connections with and ask plenty of questions with various workers, we also meet up with fellow homeschoolers for group field trips too.  
4. karate- My kids have participated in several different karate schools learning various forms of martial arts.  They meet kids from public, private and other homeschool families that are also taking classes.  
5. Soccer- My kids are young enough that they can still join in local team sports that are not yet organized by the school.  They have reconnected with public school acquaintances and made new friends while learning a new sport.  
6. Basketball- See Soccer. 
7. The beach- Much like playing at a park, my kids seem to gravitate toward other kids they meet on the beach.  Even though we typically only go to the beach in the "off" season we still meet at least a few other kids and my boys end up playing with them; building castles together, digging holes in the sand, jumping waves, and climbing rocks.  
8. Having friends over- We keep in touch with most of the friends my boys made while in public and private school by having them over to play and hang out quite frequently.  All of my boys are still in touch with friends they made in preschool & first grade!  The boys also get to have homeschool friends over during the school week and even during the school day! 
9. Go over friends' houses-  see have friends over. 
10. Go to parties- We're invited to all sorts of parties; birthday parties, fourth of July parties, not back to school parties, you name it.  My kids love going to parties and always meet at least a few new people; sometimes they hit it off really well with someone and even make a new friend. 
11. Homeschool classes- We've participated in a few different classes for homeschoolers and my boys always have fun meeting new people and learning something new.  
12. Summer camps- My boys have participated in a summer camp here and there and they like meeting new kids with similar interests.  
13. Zoos- My kids love talking to other families when we're visiting the different zoos.  They have a lot of knowledge about animals and love to share all that they know.  
14. Aquarium- see zoos. 
15. Museums- My kids have fun talking with museum docents and other museum goers when we're there.  They aren't afraid to ask questions or strike up conversations. 
16. On vacation- Two years in a row Alec has made friends with children from other countries while on vacation.  He loves listening to the various accents and learning about their homelands.  My kids often strike up conversations or play games with other kids in the hotel pool or waiting in lines for rides.  
17. Restaurants-  Mostly my kids socialize with the waitstaff when we go out to eat but they'll strike up conversations with other people while we're waiting for a table.  
18. Library- Our library sponsors many wonderful programs throughout the year and my kids love to participate in them.  They'll also look around the library every week when we go to see if they know anyone and have met up with old school friends and teachers.  They're on a first name basis with most of the librarians too.  
19. Piano/ Guitar/ Music Lessons- My kids have taken music lessons off and on with various music teachers.  Occasionally they meet other students but mostly they have a great time bonding with their teacher over their passion for music. 
20.  Family- This last one may sound a little weird but my kids get a lot of socializing time with their family; each other, mom, dad, grandparents, cousins, great grandparents, great- great aunts, etc.  We see other family members often; more often than just holidays and special events.  

The other "Most posts of 2015":

#15: An open letter to myself of 3 years ago: a new homeschooling mom

#14: Goop, Slime, Play Dough & Sensory Play recipes

#13: Say Yes! More often

#12: When Your Homeschooling Kid Refuses to do Schoolwork