Home Schooling, Socialisation, Children Are Active Participants in Community Life

Socialisation 'Issues', Excuse Me Please - WHAT Socialisation Issues?!?!

By Ina Woolcott

The question most often asked of those who choose to home school (I have been there so many times, and my daughter is not even 2 yet!) is, "what about socialising?" The response from me, and home educators in general will be - children are not isolated, but are busy, active participants in community life. They participate in brownies, sports activities, theatre and music. They also have many friends with whom to interact, therefore having a very active social life. Home-educated kids have more time and much more flexible time tables than children attending public, or even private schools.

The word socialisation, contrary to the beliefs of some, does not mean spending the weekdays competing with 25 people one's own age. In a natural community children spend their days together with old people, babies, and everyone in between. They DO NOT compete, but learn to tune into the needs of others, to help them live and learn. They are far more loving, balanced and happy. Being at home with the parent(s) who raised them, who loved them unconditionally for all those years before reaching the school goer age, and then continuing to be home with them, gives them a tremendous feeling of being loved, cherished and respected and they will reflect this back to the outer world.

In the public/private school setting, children are in generally only in contact with other children who are around the same age. There are few adults with whom to interact, and these interactions are limited, as there are so many other children who must also be tended to. Social interaction in schools is often a large amount of children with very little supervision, and much less adult guidance in learning how to get along with other people. At lunch and during the short mid morning and afternoon 'break times', playgrounds often have hundreds of children being supervised by one or two teachers or assistants. It gets to me when people immediately bring up the social 'issue'. Do these people honestly believe that the only reason kids go to school is to socialise? I thought it was to learn? And as the education system is so poor, to me the obvious answer is that I am able to give my daughter a much better education at home! I am also able to have a major influence on the children she mixes with. I don't want to put my child in the hands of teachers who are stressed and generally inundated with work. I want to be the one raising her, by the time she is old enough when she should be attending school, 5, I will have been bringing her up for the last 5 years and I am more than capable to continue. I gave birth to her, and it is my responsibility as a responsible parent to ensure the very best for my daughters future. Isn't this what all parents want for their children? I thought so!

Home schooled children mix with other people in a wide age range, younger and older. They learn to get along with a wide variety of characters, to solve problems, to work and co-operate by being a part of the community, in the 'real world'. They do this with the loving support and guidance of their parents and other adults.

Home educators have many answers regarding the 'issue' others have about socialisation. It is of foremost concern to others. The ironic thing is that one of the reasons a lot of parents decide to home educate is precisely the very 'issue' of socialisation! Instead of spending most of the day with others their own age, or close to their own age, home schooled kids have the time and freedom to get to know people of many ages and different walks of life. Being able to put a great input into the direction of their education, they become more self-reliant, self confident and less dependent upon peer approval than most school children. Children who spend time with people of all ages are living a life resembling real life, not the artificial school setting where kids are banded into age groups and thrown into a pecking order.