If you recall, here we listed various questions people have about homeschooling their children. We answered most in that post, but there were a few that needed some extra love. The last one was about if homeschooling was hard.
Today we are going to address a secret dread: Will my kid end up being a weird, unsocialized homeschooler?
Weird? Probably. :D
But probably not because of homeschooling.
Actually, your child will probably be a little weird. But for good, excellent reasons.
One benefit to homeschooling a child is that they generally get to develop without the peer pressure that happens in a school. They get used to adults interacting with them one-on-one instead of being one child in a sea of faces that a very overworked/underpaid teacher is trying desperately to reach and teach.
Homeschooled kids often wear and enjoy what suits them, not what is in style. They don’t have to worry about being teased all day, and that is amazing for mental health.
So, yes, a homeschooled child is often weird. But weird in often wonderful ways! Often, but not always, more self-assured. Often, but not always, more comfortable in their own skin. Often, but not always, eager to learn new things. Often, but not always, inquisitive and self-motivated.
So homeschooled children are often a little different because they get to be themselves without playing into the tribal social structure that groups of children will spontaneously form.
As for the unsocialized part…there really is little reason for homeschoolers to be unsocialized anymore! Homeschooling has become mainstream and there are groups and clubs most places. There is also always zoom and camps. The homeschooling family can often have as much “socialization” as they want.
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