“What about socialization?” – 3 Facts about Homeschooling

Here, I will try to answer a few of the questions all parents ask when they are exploring the idea of homeschooling. Things like the stereotypical “What about socialization?” question. If you are considering home education for your children you may find helpful (if brief) info here. And if your question isn’t answered here, you are always welcome to contact me. Maybe your question will fuel another section in an updated edition of this page.

Can I homeschool my children for free? 

Well, yes… and no.

This is kind of like asking if you can feed your children for free. If you own a farm, and you have access to a river for watering your crops, and you harvest all your own food, and you spend all day doing nothing but growing and harvesting crops on your farm… then yes, I suppose you might say you feed your family for free. This is also assuming you live in an area where the growing season is long, and you have plenty of access to the supplies needed for processing and preserving your food for the winter.

The fact is, food and education cost you. Sometimes a lot. Sometimes it costs you money; sometimes it costs you time and energy. 

Both food and education typically cost MORE if you care about quality. And the “more” might be money, or it might be the time and energy you invest.

I’ve seen many people who tried to claim they were homeschooling their children for free. But when you inquire further you find they use “free online printables”, they scavenge thrift stores, and they use educational websites like Khan Academy. 

Clearly, there is unaccounted for cost here. “Free online printables” require internet access, a working printer, reams of paper and cartridges of ink. Thrift store shopping may save a great deal over the price of new books/games/educational products, but they do still cost you money (and sometimes are missing important pieces/components, or the books have massive amounts of highlighting/damage that make them less effective to use). “Free” educational websites are still websites, and they require internet access and a working device.

The time and money required to piece together the needed resources with “free online printables” is simply not worth it to me in the long run. The time (and money) I save by purchasing ready-to-go curriculum is substantial. And my time is far better spent in engaging with my kids, taking care of my home, and running my business. 

Home educating your children is an investment. An investment of money, of time, of energy. Saying yes to something requires saying no to something else. You WILL be investing something to homeschool your children. If you say no to spending money, you will be saying yes to spending hours and energy. If you say no to spending hours and energy, you will be saying yes to spending more money. It’s impossible to say no to both.

Can my child still receive a diploma?

Of course! There are a couple of ways to go about this. 

If you choose to home educate your child and choose their course of study yourself, you are fully able to issue them a diploma upon graduation.

If you choose to educate your child through an accredited online program (for example, Calvert Homeschool), the child will receive a diploma upon completion of the program. It is important to note that most programs advertising as accredited online programs are not actually homeschool programs. They still fall under the public school umbrella, and as such are required to follow all government stipulations and guidelines for public education. 

If you choose to home educate your child and at some point in the high school years decide to enroll them in either a public school, charter school, private school, or accredited online program, be aware that your home studies may or may not be eligible for recognized credits. And as such, they may not be able to receive a state- or program-issued diploma. 

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney, and this is not to be considered legal advice. I can only share what my personal experience has been. For legal resources, I recommend HSLDA. 

What about socialization?

Provided you are an engaged parent who is intentional about the opportunities you give your child, your child’s socialization as a homeschooler will be FAR better than anything public school can offer.

A few things to think about: 

What about socialization in public school? – In public school, children spend the majority of their waking hours around their peers. They have infrequent opportunities to communicate with anyone older or younger. This means that they have a solid barrage of peer pressure, without the stabilizing factors of relationships with people older and younger than themselves. The public school environment by default creates a vacuum, an echo chamber if you will, with kids of approximately the same ages and stages. This is a completely unnatural environment, and is at best an unsuitable training ground for usable relationship skills and communication skills they will need as an adult.

That said, I am fully aware that public school is sometimes the best option for certain children or families. (Two of our own children attended public school during the middle and high school years.) The important thing to remember with children in public school, is that true socialization will have to happen by intentionality during non-school hours.

What about socialization in homeschool? – In homeschool, you have the wonderful opportunity to expose them to people both younger and older than themselves. And they will learn invaluable life skills from both. 

When I was a child, and was being homeschooled myself, I remember recognizing one huge difference between my homeschool friends and my public school friends: their ability, or lack of ability to engage with people of other ages.

My public school friends could hardly hold an intelligent conversation with either my Nana or my younger siblings. They had difficulty responding to questions or conversation initiated by my Nana, and would fall into an uncomfortable silence or give monosyllabic answers. When my younger siblings were around and wanted to play with us, my public school friends acted annoyed and superior. 

My homeschool friends were the exact opposite. When my Nana asked questions or initiated a conversation, they would respond enthusiastically. And often, they were the ones to initiate a conversation and express interest in her, and in what she had to offer in the way of experience and stories. When I played with my homeschool friends, they were quick to include my younger siblings, and would willingly and voluntarily adjust games to the abilities of younger children. They would laugh delightedly at the younger kids antics, and happily engage on a level that was entertaining for them, and educational for them, and inclusive of them. They spoke to my Nana and younger children with equal ease.

Obviously, this is not always the case. But it is a pattern I observed as a child, and I can’t say my observations as an adult are too much different. The difference I now see is more about how these outcomes are indicative of the involvement of the child’s parents. And as a homeschooler, you are given the gift of more time to be involved and engaged, instead of trying to fit your involvement into evenings and weekends only.

“Socialization” as a homeschooler looks like chatting with the cashier while your parent pays for groceries. It looks like a geocaching adventure with another family – all ages included. It looks like teaching someone younger than you how to ride a bike. It looks like settling in for storytime with grandpa. It looks like 4H, and Boy Scouts, and music lessons, and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. What about socialization? It looks like taking advantage of opportunities to share, and learn, and grow, with people of all ages and abilities.

New to homeschooling? You might like this blog post: 7 Simple Tips for Teaching Your Child to Read