Without question, one of the biggest concerns about homeschooling is the fear that homeschooling students are not learning effective social skills or are not being adequately socialized. The presumption is that the best way to socialize your child is through large gatherings of peers, and without having those regular interactions, children will somehow miss out on important learning experiences. Where does the truth lie with presumption and how does homeschooling really impact a child’s social skills?
The answer lies in the definition of “social skills.” If you are looking for an environment in which your child’s self-awareness and self-acceptance are determined by an external group of adolescents, or if you are seeking your child’s ability to function well in an artificial environment of only similar age groups, then It’s true. Homeschooling can have a detrimental effect on your child. Public and private schools can have many advantages, but developing social skills is not necessarily one of them unless you seek the limited situations described above.
True social skills are the skills to develop habits and tools that allow individuals to function in the society around them for the betterment of the community and in meaningful relationships with others. That definition has nothing to do with the confines of a college setting. Rather, that definition has to do with the character of the individual as he lives his daily life, and as homeschoolers will tell you, character training happens all day, every day in a school education setting. home. Therefore, one of the main sources of true development of social skills is the family itself.
Social skills develop as students interact with other people of different ages in their own families and as they witness what is happening in their communities and the needs around them. Homeschoolers see everyday life every day while working in a place that should also function as a home. Homeschoolers have to do their work while the phone rings or laundry or business is done, and most homeschoolers are also in their communities during the week. This allows them to interact more regularly with business owners and civic leaders, so their understanding of social responsibility can be sharpened.
But these are not the only areas where social skills are developed. Other sources of influence include mentors that homeschoolers or clubs they belong to can work with. It can include churches or church groups they participate in, scouting organizations, or sports teams.
If the goal is to prepare students to become functioning adults in a family, a community, and a career filled with people of many ages and abilities, what better place to develop those skills than homeschooling. All of these aspects of daily interaction are offered to the homeschooler. Homeschoolers can teach positive social skills responsibly, and like anything else, if done right, the effects of homeschooling on social skills development can be very successful and rewarding.