No matter where you live, the myths and stereotypes surrounding homeschooling run rampant.
They may show up as questions, well-intended advice, and even outright hostility.
Your children must be isolated from the Real World.
“Why don’t you want your kids to live in the real world? They will never be able to make it if they don’t.”
This has to be the hardest question to combat with a total stranger. The person obviously has their own preconceived ideas about homeschoolers. When they see my children and I out IN the Real World, it doesn’t even occur to them that the traditionally-schooled children are the ones who are kept away from it.
The myth of the socially-inept homeschoolers does have some truth to it.
I have seen some homeschoolers who really were socially awkward and unable to fit into a group of same aged peers. Not many, but some. The vast majority, however, are simply NOT like that. Mine certainly aren’t!
My kids have always been very busy, socially speaking.
From the early years, when we did pizza & bowling on Thursdays (Homeschool Bowl time, $2 for 3 hours!), to the days of twice-weekly swimming lessons and then swim team, at the YMCA. Let’s not forget Missionettes and Royal Rangers on Wednesday nights, and volleyball and indoor soccer teams, and serving weekly with a local homeless ministry.
You can’t get much more real-world than sitting on the concrete and having dinner and conversation with a homeless person. My kids do this every week. Yet people think that my homeschooled kids must be unsocialized.
These days, with they boys it is also twice-weekly swimming lessons, and Royal Rangers. Soccer or basketball (Upward, not at the Y) are coming up and the boys want to play. Homeschool bowling and art classes will be starting up again soon too. There are PLENTY of group activities around here to keep ANY kids, and their families, quite busy in The Real World.
Just for fun, here are 7 Lies About Homeschoolers. 🙂
Nothing makes me happier than to have an adult come up to us and remark on how well behaved, or talkative, or kind one of my kids are. And when that son is able to make eye contact, smile, and thank them or even initiate conversation (Gasp! With a stranger!), so much the better. Especially my Spectrum kid who struggles with eye contact in even the best situations.
They can join in bike riding or ball with the neighborhood kids, hold babies in the church nursery, and play pool with the teenagers in the youth group.
My kids aren’t even close to being isolated from the real world. They are in it every single day.
