So you homeschool, and the masses cry out, “BUT WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION???!!!” I must point out that in a traditional classroom in America, there’s not a lot of socialization going on anyway. There are rows of desks and kids all of one age doing all the same work beside each other, yes. But is that socialization? Truthfully, a lot of socialization happens OUTSIDE of schools. So why would that be different for homeschoolers?

But because that is the number one question non-homeschoolers ask homeschoolers (seemingly as a way to dissuade them from homeschooling?), I think that homeschoolers start second-guessing themselves. HOW should they make sure their kids are socializing? HOW OFTEN should they be doing it? WHEN and WHERE???

I think it probably looks different for everyone!  Families with multiple siblings might not need to do as much outside socializing as those with single children, and different seasons of the year can look different as well.  If you can build socialization into things you already do regularly, that might be the most natural way to incorporate it.  For example, go to the library to pick out books right before the weekly storytime.  Head to the playground when you know it’s going to be super busy in your town.  

If you’re looking for more planned outings, think about your child’s interests and go from there. Even when you have infants and toddlers, you can join some parent-child classes so you have some socialization for yourself as well! When my girls were infants, we took parent-child swim classes for some bonding time in the pool + movement experiences.  When we just needed to get out of the house but didn’t have a class or anything planned, we headed to the library to play in the children’s section.  This allowed for some socialization + just a change of scenery.  Libraries often have free weekly story times for infants/toddlers/preschoolers, so I would check your local library to see what they offer!

When I was doing Montessori homeschool preschool with my girls, group classes and outings were actually part of our homeschool routine. We did that through Kindermusik (when they were 1-3ish), group swim lessons (3-6), library storytime (1-4ish), and a preschool science class at our local Science Center (4-5). Those were regular places we went once a week. We also went to preschool classes at our local botanical gardens about once every month or so.

Once you’ve experienced a few different options, you’ll have a better idea of what your child is drawn to and what you want to continue with on a more regular basis.  We had seasons where we went to Kindermusik weekly, others where we took tumbling classes, and then the girls eventually moved on to solo swim classes, karate, and eventually fencing.  

P.S. These are all the same things that non-homeschooling families do to provide socialization experiences for their kids… so is it really an issue for *just* homeschoolers? I think not.

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