Perhaps when all is said and done about the pros and cons of homschooling children, one of the most prominent issues that arises initially is finding friends for homeschool students. Socialization does not just happen on its own. The homeschooling parent must make time for it and also find the friends the children are expected to play with. In the initial years when the children are too small to have preferences of their own, it often comes down to whose mom their mother would like to spend time with.
Some people who are naturally exuberant and love making friends may have a large circle to pick from. Others who are busier with the home and the children may have more restricted options. The trouble in finding new friends for homeschool students arises when the parent is so tied up between chores in the home and the teaching in the homeschool classroom that she does not leave any time for making friends of her own. Especially friends who have children in the same age bracket as her own.
Homeschooling gives parents complete control over what they would like to share with their children. They do not have interactions in a school away from the parents which would give them new ideas, they are totally dependent on the homeschooling parent to make life interesting for them. This can become difficult if the natural personality of the homeschooling parent is to be an introvert. Teaching social skills that they feel they do not have is a tricky situation.
How does a homeschooling parent solve this problem? Find groups online who meet up in the real world. Allow your homeschool children to have pen pals, they could be email pals in this day and age. Take your children to places you know other mothers head with their kids, even if you don’t know anyone there at first. The whole idea is to keep trying and eventually the children will find friends whom they want to spend more time with. These have the potential of becoming visiting play date friends and eventually even life long friends.
