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Don't your kids need to socialize?

Chelsea Vail

I see you! You cringed just as I do everytime someone hits me with this asinine question, "Don't your kids need to socialize?" when they find out we homeschool. Here are my top tips for responding to this question and maintaining your sanity simultaneously.


First, don't get defensive. Answer the question directly with the truth and put it back on this person to answer if kids in a regular school setting are getting as "socialized" as traditionally thought. These are humans, not dogs, right? Humans are social creatures by nature.




"Well sir, I worried about this when we first got started, but then I realized how unnatural it is for children to be around twenty-five to thirty same aged peers five days a week practically all year long the entire childhood. Kids in this environment are only learning to interact with kids their own age whilst homeschool kids are around mixed aged kids in various activities and benefit from having so much adult attention they are often more mature and well-rounded as a result.


This is almost ALWAYS met with, "But, don't they get bored at home with you all day?" Stay calm. This asshole assumes you stay at home all day cooking, cleaning, and kneading sourdough bread circa 1995. Answer this question with the intent of shocking them into silence so you can move on with your insanely busy day.


"I wish we were home enough to be bored! Between ninja class, playdates, piano, art, spanish, lego hour, pottery, field trips, travel and all the other activities we participate in across the city each day, I'm barely holding my head above water at home".


Remember that these questions aren't meant to be offensive. They're often stated by people who don't realize how much homeschooling has changed since their childhood. They don't know that your homeschool community is well over a few thousand. They don't know that the homeschool activities online sell out in minutes or how overwhelming "homeschool day" at the movies or the bowling ally can be due to crowds. They don't see the birthday parties at the park with forty to sixty mixed-aged kids running around playing sports, swapping Pokemon cards, riding bikes, or playing freeze tag in the sun on a weekday morning to know that very few homeschooled kids actually stay at home during the day.


They have no clue that your "weird" homeschooled kids speaks two languages, has more stamps on their passport than Taylor Swift, was doing algebra by third grade, plays multiple instruments and it's not their fault. So, stay calm and carry on.


Homeschool kids are weird, right? LOL.


Be well, Chelsea

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