Diaper Swappers

~Laura~ · 03-12-2013, 07:32 PM

This is one of my favorite posts about homeschooling and socialization.

babysniffles · 03-13-2013, 10:21 AM

My kids go with me everywhere. The store, the bank, church, doctor appointments, and other errands. This is in addition to piano lessons, play dates and other extracurriculars. They are learning how to talk to people in many situations, and wherever we go, they make 'friends' with whatever kids are there, even if we are only there for a few minutes. I think the only time socialization would be an issue would be if you refused to let your kids interact with the outside world, or if there was an underlying developmental or psychiatric problem.

Kristi26 · 03-15-2013, 03:13 PM

I think that our culture has a strange sense of the meaning of the term "socialization." There is nothing particularly social about being forced to be friends with 20+ kids that you may or may not like or even get along with. And honestly, I think it gets in the way of the learning they COULD be doing. Yes, I was bullied in school.

That said, I'll answer the original question: We go to co-op weekly, storytime at the library weekly, church weekly, DD is part of the Kid Worship team at church, they have friends (DS will be going on a sleepover tomorrow night in fact) and go on "play dates" regularly, and they are also best friends with each other. Oh, and they play with the neighbor kids regularly too. They get plenty of chances to hang out with other people. HTH!

Kristi26 · 03-15-2013, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Laura~

This is one of my favorite posts about homeschooling and socialization.

I LOVE this.

BlissfulMoM · 03-15-2013, 03:52 PM

The older kids have Sunday School and Boy Scouts and we are hoping to add an art class in the near future. We socialize with neighbors and the kids go all over with me so they see and interact with others that way. It isn't really natural for kids to be stuck in a room with 20-30 other kids their exact age 7-8 hours a day 5 days a week 9 months of the year, anyway. The family unit is the prime place for social learning to happen. Believe me, you don't want your kids learning too much socially from their peers!

There is a great book out there called "Hold On to Your Kids" written by a psychologist and a physician who feel that much of our discipline and behavioral problems in modern life are from too much socializing with peers and not enough being within our own family. Being "peer-oriented" is not healthy, not even in the teen years. Its a foreign concept for most of us, but its well researched and thought-provoking. Well worth the read!

(I will come back later and add the link when I have enough posts, LOL)

Leiiki · 03-15-2013, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sewmany

I'm really thinking of homeschooling. However, DH doesn't think the kids will get enough socialization. I know that's not true, but I would like some ideas to present to him.

So what do you do?

I can't find the article right now, but there was just a great study showing that children do not benefit from constant interaction with their peers, but they build social skills by interacting with adult "constants" instead.

We do go to some traditional classes (ballet, swimming), but we also take DD to see friends and acquaintances at work, go to open-air concerts and theater, and generally include her in our daily lives - not just bringing her along, but interacting with her in each environment.

PBS also had a pretty good piece on the myth of socialization:
http://www.pbs.org/parents/education...olings-s-word/

Amandamama · 03-15-2013, 04:40 PM

The usual: homeschool co op, homeschool 4H, scouts, gymnastics, homeschool camping trips, homeschool summer camp, play dates, park days, art lessons, ballet, youth group....

NOT all of these at once. I think that's WAY important to put out there! Many of our homes hooling friends have their kids signed up for so many weekly structured activities that they are never free for a play date or impromptu trip to the beach.

We live in a small rural area & have a ton of homeschool group activities to go to. Ones that weren't in place 10 yrs ago when we started homes hooling that we wanted available we started the groups (co op & 4H).
If your town doesn't have an active homeschool group yet, start one! Hang signs at the children's room of the library & in a few months u will have a group. Our group gets about 10 inquiries & 2-3 new families a month this past year. Homeschooling is growing fast!

jessicanashville · 03-15-2013, 04:44 PM

We have friends over for play dates, go to story/craft time at the Library, Sunday school... My kids have amazing social skills...I haven't worried about it once.

You Tell 'Em · 03-15-2013, 04:51 PM

DD#1 does dance once a week with the other little girls who she would have been going to school with if we put her in public. (Hubby is against her going to public school here since it's not very good). If I didn't have two others, or just the one other (and she was a tad older) then DD#1 would probably do more stuff but right now I can't pull it off on my own.

I would love, love, love to be able to do playdates and such but we're 30+ minutes away from our old playgroup and since our plan was to move back up there within the year I didn't try to find a new one.

ETA: DD#1 does go to the gym with MIL on Saturdays so she spends about an hour (little over) with children and she does Bible school on Sundays after church. She's a very social person.

tibeca · 03-20-2013, 04:28 PM

I'm actually feeling "overly" socialized!

DD1 has ballet and chinese every week (3 hours total for both).
Then I do LLL 3 times per month, so that's like 3 hours 3 times per month. There are always other children there for them to interact with.
Then planned play dates (at least 1 per week) or field trips
Our homeschool group 1-2 times per week
Blah. I want to cut back, but where do I cut?! Then I was hoping to start 4H next year.

That doesn't include incidental stuff, like doctor's appt, grocery trips, trips to the park, etc.

03-12-2013, 07:32 PM	#11
~Laura~ Registered Users Join Date: May 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 3,905 Ratings: 117 Feedback: 99% My Mood:	Re: How do you get socialization in? This is one of my favorite posts about homeschooling and socialization. __________________ Wife to my amazing DH Mom to '04, '07 & '09

03-13-2013, 10:21 AM	#12
babysniffles Registered Users Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 55	Re: How do you get socialization in? My kids go with me everywhere. The store, the bank, church, doctor appointments, and other errands. This is in addition to piano lessons, play dates and other extracurriculars. They are learning how to talk to people in many situations, and wherever we go, they make 'friends' with whatever kids are there, even if we are only there for a few minutes. I think the only time socialization would be an issue would be if you refused to let your kids interact with the outside world, or if there was an underlying developmental or psychiatric problem.

03-15-2013, 03:13 PM	#13
Kristi26 Registered Users Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 2,291 Ratings: 23 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: How do you get socialization in? I think that our culture has a strange sense of the meaning of the term "socialization." There is nothing particularly social about being forced to be friends with 20+ kids that you may or may not like or even get along with. And honestly, I think it gets in the way of the learning they COULD be doing. Yes, I was bullied in school. That said, I'll answer the original question: We go to co-op weekly, storytime at the library weekly, church weekly, DD is part of the Kid Worship team at church, they have friends (DS will be going on a sleepover tomorrow night in fact) and go on "play dates" regularly, and they are also best friends with each other. Oh, and they play with the neighbor kids regularly too. They get plenty of chances to hang out with other people. HTH! __________________ -Kristi,wife(5/02), , HSing, CDing,SAHM to Andrew(1/00), Lukas(2/03),Lily (1/06),and Ian (5/09) !Sweet Gwen, stillborn, 12/26/11, angel baby 7/08 Free History plans and more here: http://themommywriter.blogspot.com/

03-15-2013, 03:52 PM	#15
BlissfulMoM Registered Users Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 9	Re: How do you get socialization in? The older kids have Sunday School and Boy Scouts and we are hoping to add an art class in the near future. We socialize with neighbors and the kids go all over with me so they see and interact with others that way. It isn't really natural for kids to be stuck in a room with 20-30 other kids their exact age 7-8 hours a day 5 days a week 9 months of the year, anyway. The family unit is the prime place for social learning to happen. Believe me, you don't want your kids learning too much socially from their peers! There is a great book out there called "Hold On to Your Kids" written by a psychologist and a physician who feel that much of our discipline and behavioral problems in modern life are from too much socializing with peers and not enough being within our own family. Being "peer-oriented" is not healthy, not even in the teen years. Its a foreign concept for most of us, but its well researched and thought-provoking. Well worth the read! (I will come back later and add the link when I have enough posts, LOL)

03-15-2013, 04:40 PM	#17
Amandamama Registered Users Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 175 Ratings: 11 Feedback: 100%	Re: How do you get socialization in? The usual: homeschool co op, homeschool 4H, scouts, gymnastics, homeschool camping trips, homeschool summer camp, play dates, park days, art lessons, ballet, youth group.... NOT all of these at once. I think that's WAY important to put out there! Many of our homes hooling friends have their kids signed up for so many weekly structured activities that they are never free for a play date or impromptu trip to the beach. We live in a small rural area & have a ton of homeschool group activities to go to. Ones that weren't in place 10 yrs ago when we started homes hooling that we wanted available we started the groups (co op & 4H). If your town doesn't have an active homeschool group yet, start one! Hang signs at the children's room of the library & in a few months u will have a group. Our group gets about 10 inquiries & 2-3 new families a month this past year. Homeschooling is growing fast!