Monday, July 7, 2008

Socialization in Homeschooling

I just read a post on a blog Dave sent me by a guy named Eric Carpenter. He is commenting on an article he read on an education site about homeschooled children not being "socialized." We have had a lot of questions directed at us about this very topic when told we are going to homeschool our kids. I love Eric's answer:

On the issue of "socialization," Mr. Arnold implies that homeschoolers are retreating from the world and churning out weird kids. Nothing could be further from the truth. The key is what "socialization" means. If my children have to be indoctrinated in secular humanism, self-esteem building, secular sex ed., evolution, and above all else, the importance of tolerating all lifestyles, then I don't want them to be "socialized." If to be socialized is to be exposed in the early teens to sex and drugs, I'll say "No thanks." However, if building proper social skills means being able to carry on an educated conversation with other children and adults in a polite and respectful manner, then I think homeschoolers are just fine.

How true this is! I could not have said it better. I am so sold on this idea that our kids are exposed to such horrible things so early in life when they shouldn't be. And I can tell that exposure is happening much earlier than it did when I was growing up. I am happy to get my kids out of the pressure to "be like everyone else," even if it is for a short while. We don't know what next year may bring, but we know that we can start now to help our kids become respectful, mature adults who put Christ first and at the center of all they do. And in the meantime, get a good, quality education that will prepare them for college and the real world.

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