W
e have already spoken about how homeschooling can benefit your child, especially when he or she is a slow learner. My daughter did struggle to cope up and was suffering from immense pressure. That was the time when I decided to homeschool her. The transformation in her was visible, and I never had any doubt about her social development.
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I often hear parents ask – will my child be able to socialize normally if I homeschool him/her? Will they be able to mingle with other kids of their age comfortably? Well, read on to know the answers.
So, what are the social development benefits homeschooling provides?
Kids get to enjoy family relationships even closely – Yes, you heard me right. Kids who are homeschooled spend a lot of time with their families, and this helps build healthy and strong social connections. They often consider their parents or grandparents or their relatives as role models and learn all about values and traditions from them. As the elders of the family coach the kids about behavior, they can even handle conflicts properly, and positively.
Less peer dependence – Parents of pre-teens or teens often complain about peer dependence or bullying or exposure to unnecessary aspects. All of these are kept at bay when kids are homeschooled. Having said that, kids need to be educated at home about the same (like exposure to alcohol, sexual activity, bullying, etc) so that they are not exposed to the same via their other friends.
They can deal with stereotypes and difference – Most of the kids who are homeschooled learn to accept the so-called “nerd factor.” This comes from the family itself. Families, as well as the kids easily accept sensitive boys and strong girls, and this reduces the pressure in kids who have learning differences. With proper education about gender equality, we can raise kids who can set an example for others.
Community involvement – Well, I cannot stress enough on this. Homeschooled kids get all the time they need to volunteer and to participate in various community activities along with people of all ages. You not only educate them academically, but can homeschool their hearts as well, and make them better human beings.
The sense of safety – This is one of the primary reasons why many parents choose to homeschool their kids. Parents believe that they can take their measures to keep the child safe, both physically and mentally. Having said that, the child is not restricted but is exposed to various events and learning aspects under proper supervision.
These are just a few pointers I could think of. If I have to give an example of my daughter, she was shy when she was in school. She became quite comfortable interacting with people as she started accompanying me to the supermarket, malls, to the bank, and various community and family events. She never had the time or energy when she was in school to join me.
By knowing other people, (a few her age and most of them elder to her) she gained confidence, understands the thought process of elders, and knows how to interact with people younger and older to her age. She now enjoys doing what she loves the most and spends a lot of time with her grandparents, with her uncle, and of course, spends a little time during the day studying.
So, I would like to say that never worry about how your kid will socialize if you are homeschooling him/her. Trust me; they will do better (based on my experience). All you need to make sure is to provide them with many opportunities where they get to meet new people and interact with them.
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