Monday, May 4, 2009

Homeschool Socialization

Aron told me some guy he knows has a kid who goes to the school across the street from us. The guy asked why we homeschool (so many reasons and my main ones aren’t religious, by the way) and if we were concerned about socialization.

Aron told the guy we have a super-social son (a little like me) who can’t ever get enough … 24 hours a day with several of his friends is honestly not enough for him. He would love to be the oldest of the Duggars, we joke.

He also told the guy our other son is not social at all and takes a long time to warm up to people (like my husband). I kind of wish I was like that because then maybe I wouldn’t get burned so easily by crazy women “friends”.

Our oldest daughter would probably just be the way she is no matter what … she’s strong-willed and pops in and out of being social (like me and my mom).

Eva’s just a sweet pea tornado so far who will most likely be happy homeschooling and having her brothers teach her how to write (I hear this happens a lot in big families, whether they homeschool or not … the mom is doing dishes and all of a sudden her older kids have taught the younger one how to do something cool)!

I would like to add to the conversation this tidbit: “ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS SOCIALIZATION CRAP?” Google “homeschool socialization” and you’ll find some great stuff about how crazy the socialization hierarchy is in school. When else in your life are you segregated by AGE? Not in college, where you’re with all ages. Not in the workplace. Not even when you get married. My man is 5 years older than I am, and it works for us. My mom socializes pretty good with her husband, who is like 12 years younger than she is. But she didn’t learn to do that in school.

This post got a little long, so tomorrow I’ll continue with snotty school kids, how I know homeschooling isn’t for everyone, and how we socialize.