If ever I mentioned that we are homeschooling, we would always get the infamous question – “What about socialization?”
While we homeschool, it does not mean we just stay home. Contrary to just staying at home, we have plenty of time and the flexibility to be outside and meet other people. In fact, I think homeschool kids get more opportunities to socialize and not just with the kids as their age.
So here, I came up with a list (and photos) of some activities and what we do for socialization.
- Homeschool Group Activities
We do not have the so called classmates but we have families and homeschool friends that we meet every so often. We visit museums, go out in field trips, play at the park, or organize outreach activities together.
Some who call it learn groups, have sessions for kids to show and share with their friends what kept them busy and what they learned during the quarter or past months.
Trip to the Philippine National Museum of Natural History
- Classes
This refers to classes where neither mom or dad is the teacher. Example would be, but not limited to, swimming, music, dance, sports, and theater.
Yes, we find classes for our children to learn life skills or hone their interests. Children are taught by teachers who are experts on these fields and they get to interact with fellow kids attending the same classes.
- Church Activities
On weekends, when we are here in Manila, our son, interprets songs for the Deaf community using sign language. Here, he gets to interact, even with simple signs and gestures to the Deaf church goers. He also participates in other church activities which involved both adults and kids.
- Mommy and Daddy’s Events
In our case, we do not have a nanny or sitter for Gab and we have meetings, he is with us most of the time. During these long hours, he gets to interact with persons we are meeting and learn to do his “work” or keep himself busy as he patiently wait for us to finish.
- Traveling
We love traveling. This is another opportunity for Gab to interact with persons with different cultures.
Such activities provided Gab a venue for socialization – for him to comfortably interact or converse with kids of his age, younger or older kids and even adults.
What we think is more important is how children behave in situations and how they treat others. This can be learned from being guided and supported in social situations – kids learn from watching older children and adults, especially the parents, model appropriate behaviour.
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