Home
>
Parenting
>
Homeschool Socialization - Developing Your Homeschool Childs Social Skills

Homeschool Socialization - Developing Your Homeschool Childs Social Skills

Everyone needs friends, and, as parents, you and I both know we're responsible for our children's social lives as well as our own. As homeschoolers, we also know that kids don't need public school pressure in order to find friends . . . so I'm not going to waste your time with hundreds of statistics to support homeschoolers and socialization. Instead let's explore the top two ways to find life long friends for our children . . . and ourselves!

Support & Fun All Rolled into One!

The best way to find friends for your family is to research the homeschool groups in your area. Find the one that fits your lifestyle, religious beliefs, and educational views the best and join it! Here are some great sites online that will help you find groups in your area:

homeschool central

After finding the group that's right for you, don't get overwhelmed with all of the activities: remember... homeschool group activities are opportunities, not obligations! A lot of groups are very organized and offer a lot of activities, but you shouldn't feel like it's an all or nothing kind of thing. Choose your activity and only do what you and your kids want to.

Too Much of a Good Thing? Try a Mini-Support Group!

On the other hand, a lot of the groups are very unorganized, and as soon as they find a smart and capable person who looks like they're willing to take control, they'll throw all the organization onto them. Don't let this be you! If your new homeschool group is unorganized, just try to get a list of names of homeschoolers in your area as well as the ages of their children. I would start with one family at a time (whose kids are close in age to my own) and begin calling them; this way, you can put together your own mini-support group! Smaller groups are better for getting to know each other, anyway. Once you've found a family, give them a call:

"Hi! I'm homeschooling my children in the same neighborhood as you. The information I got from the area homeschool group tells me that your two children are the same age as mine. Honestly, my kids and I are just looking for some homeschool friends in the area. I was wondering if there is some time this week that we could meet at the park and have a picnic. You pick the day and I'll bring my famous fruit salad!"

This approach works like a charm - and if the first family you call is uninterested, which is unlikely, call the next. Fear of rejection is not something you should worry about. Remember: you are now solely responsible for your younger children's interaction with new people - so take charge and make the first move! If not for yourself, then do it for them.

When you get together with your new play group, here are some great educational field trip ideas:

Fire station, library, park, beach, zoo, airport, art/history museum, children's museum, governor's office, police station, farm, factory, sporting events, local industry (bottling factory, wood mill, steel mill, coffee farm), parent's work place, seniors' homes, and any kind of outdoor activity (hiking, skiing, etc). The best thing to do is find out what you have in your area and use the resources at hand. You'll be surprised at what's out there!

Soccer & Brownies anyone?

The next best place to find friends is through extra curricular activities. See what's available in your city and talk with your kids. Friends come naturally when your kids are involved in activities with children their own age. Calling the YMCA for ideas is a great place to start. Here are some of our favorites:

Boy scouts, Girls scouts, Brownies, Soccer, Softball, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Swimming, Summer Camps, Youth Groups, College Classes for homeschoolers, Writing Clubs, 4-H, Choir, Spelling and Geography Bees, Game Days, Volunteering, Drama Clubs, Church Groups, Craft Classes, Book Clubs, Bowling Clubs, Skating, Teen Clubs, and just about anywhere else you can think of!

Stay-At-Home TIPS:

Try to get done with school work at the same time as the local schools. Then your children can play with the neighborhood kids just like everyone else.

If you have other kids in the family close in age, invite them over. My son is best friends with his cousin. We live close by and they are always calling or coming over. My son doesn't have a lot of friends, but he does have his "best friend." So life is good!

Don't forget about yourself! We're so engrossed with our kids that we forget about ourselves. Talk to your homeschool group or fellow soccer moms and plan a "girl's night out" and go to dinner or just get together at someone's house to talk, eat, and have a good time. No Kids Allowed! Schedule your "play time" just like you would for your kids and have fun doing it!

New friendships aren't hard to find as long as you stay open to new people. We just need to get out of the house (past the mailbox) and have adventures. These fun outings will encourage all of our families to naturally meet friends that we all need! Thanks for listening, and I hope some of these ideas will help you and your kids make and keep life-long friends.

Happy Homeschooling!

Kristi Hagen is a homeschooling parent and author of "A Parent's Guide to Homeschool". She's also one of the editors of HomeschoolViews.com, which publishes an informative monthly homeschool central.

maid service near Mundelein ..

In The News:

Foreign-owned apps secretly harvest personal data from seniors, making them prime targets for scams. Learn how to protect your privacy and stop data brokers today.

Sens. Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduce bipartisan GUARD Act to protect minors from AI chatbots through mandatory age verification and disclosure requirements.

Ghost-tapping scammers exploit wireless technology to drain accounts through small transactions, but RFID-blocking wallets and transaction alerts can protect you.

French pilot project demonstrates wireless charging roads that can deliver over 300 kilowatts of power to EVs while driving, potentially eliminating range anxiety.

YouTube's Ghost Network spreads information-stealing malware through thousands of fake videos offering cracked software, using compromised accounts and fake engagement.

Protect your privacy by disabling your smart TV microphone. Most TVs have hidden mics that listen even when voice commands are off. Learn quick steps to stop unwanted audio capture.

SessionReaper vulnerability hits Magento and Adobe Commerce stores, compromising 250+ sites in one day. Hackers steal data and hijack shopping sessions.

Master essential parental controls and digital safety tools to protect your kids online. Learn screen time limits, location settings and privacy controls every parent needs.

Cybersecurity expert shares six essential steps to protect against dark web threats, including data removal services, password managers and antivirus software.

NVIDIA GPU space mission could revolutionize cloud services by enabling orbital data centers that make apps, games and AI tools faster and more efficient.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Microsoft warns Windows 10 users face serious security risks as 90% of ransomware attacks target unsupported systems. Learn why upgrading to Windows 11 is crucial.

Nike unveils Project Amplify, revolutionary motorized shoes developed with Dephy that add powered assistance to every step for runners and walkers.

Cybersecurity experts warn about one of the largest credential compilations ever found, urging users to check "Have I Been Pwned" and change passwords immediately.

Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.

Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.

New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.

Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.

Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.

Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.

Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.

A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.

Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.

A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.

Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.

Homeschool Socialization - Developing Your Homeschool Childs Social Skills

Parenting