Unschooling – Socialization

Socialization . . . where to begin 🙂 Yes we were concerned when we first started talking about homeschooling and now were not. One of our main reasons for homeschooling is that our families relationship and time together was more important than anything else. We socialize all day long with each other! What a great way to learn how to interact with other people!

Siblings
Siblings

Because of how schools are set up today we are all in the mindset that socialization can only happen with kids that are the same age. With unschooling we take a very different approach. We look at socialization as being spending time with people of all ages. That being the case – pretty much every day my kids are interacting with other people – including me (maybe not kids their same age but other people – babies, toddlers, kids, teens, adults, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc). I also feel that the interaction they have with each other is some of the best socialization that they can get! We have also built up a great network of friends that we get together with. Some homeschool and some don’t – the kids don’t care! They just have fun playing together – they don’t know or care that it is called socialization – they are just doing what feels natural! 
 We believe that people are born wanting to learn  and we also feel that people are born to want to socialize or interact – and so if we give them the opportunity they will find ways to do it :! My oldest son makes friends very easily and quickly when we go to a park or anywhere new – if he wants to – sometimes he just plays with his siblings and that is great! I did not expect this since he was such a shy baby and never wanted to be anywhere but by me – but as he got older he started to reach out – without any pushing from me. Over and over again I have seen how our kids are capable of learning and doing all of the things that so many people think they have to be taught in a structured environment. This is so not true! Are my kids socialized – yes! Am I concerned that they wGangon’t learn how to interact in a the world because they have never been in school – no! Trust your kids – they usually are doing the “right” thing without even knowing it is right or that they are supposed to do it.

Bryanna


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