The most common arguments I hear against homeschooling tend to be concerns over socialization and over sheltering. Many people seem to think that homeschoolers live inside some sort of bubble, shut away from the outside world, but that couldn't be further from the truth for the majority of home educating families. Homeschooling tends to make a child's world bigger, not smaller.
If you stop to think about it, kids in the public school system are the ones who are sheltered from the outside world. They spend a large portion of their days with the same small group of children, their exact same age, tucked away from the rest of society. They spend their days in a system that allows very little autonomy, very little decision making, and very little real-life experience. When else in life are people so segregated by age? Or in a system that allows them so little interaction with the greater community? There's a reason so many of our youth enter adulthood without the experience needed to thrive. Many are missing key life experiences and lack the social skills needed to communicate with people outside of their peer group.
Alternately, homeschoolers spend large portions of their days accompanying their parents on errands, exploring in nature, volunteering at church or in the community, and participating in internships and other hands-on learning opportunities. Homeschoolers form co-ops and learning pods where children learn alongside other children of varying ages and often out in public spaces where they get to interact with other community members. Homeschoolers learn science at museums and zoos and by exploring in nature, they learn history by visiting historical sites, and they practice math skills at the store. They learn by actually participating in society, which is a far superior way to prepare someone for life.
Just this month my kids have visited the zoo and the library. We took a trip to the science museum with friends. We've had 4 meetups with our nature school group at the park. We've taken several hikes with a local hiking group. We've been to homeschool day at the roller rink. My kids have helped me do the weekly shopping and accompanied me to the bank and to the gas station. We've been fishing and kayaking with friends, and of course, we've found time for some school work too. These things might not all seem monumental, but each of them offers opportunities to develop social skills and to learn some of the ins and outs of how to participate in society.
Additionally, homeschooling tends to take up much less time than traditional schooling, since one-on-one learning is more efficient. This leaves a lot more time for kids to develop their hobbies and to dive into their unique interests. I have met so many home educated children who have amazing hobbies and skill sets. We have friends who make stop action films. We know kids who are dancers and competitive athletes. My 11-year-old is an amazing photographer and is fascinated with geology. My 6-year-old loves birds and can ID at least a dozen species just by their calls. These are all skills that they would not likely have had a chance to develop if they were in school six hours a day and were then sent home with an hour or two of homework each night.
The homeschool life provides so many wonderful opportunities for children to learn and socialize, not just within their peer group, but within the entire community. Homeschooling makes a child's world bigger, not smaller.
If you enjoyed this post check out: Homeschooling on the Go
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