They go to the neighbor's house, knock on the door and ask, "Can Joey come out to play?" just like every freaking generation from the beginning of time until about 1990.
At least in my area, there is a huge homeschooling culture where they all go on field trips together (I think once a month), do PE together, and just general meet ups. While things have changed for my family and we had to put my daughter in school, when she was homeschooled, she learned how to talk to people of all ages, not just kids her age and she wasn't (still isn't) shy in talking to adults or older kids.
I'm a physician as well, and I get homeschooled kids coming into my office often. The one difference I noticed between the "schooled" and "unschooled" kids are the ones going to public/private school tend to look to their parents to answer all of my questions where the homeschooled kids can talk to me and answer my questions directly. Very interesting to say the least. Granted, small sample size but still.
In the end, people tend to think homeschooled kids are weird. What I like to say is "are you saying when you were in school, there weren't any weird and antisocial kids?", the answer is "of course there were". This is due to the parents typically, some of it could be genetic (some stuff I'm learning on epigenetics is VERY interesting) but I think for the most part it is environmental or the way the kids are raised.
There are homeschool communities everywhere. My sister in law homeschools and her kids are amazingly well adjusted. They get together for “school” outings, museum, zoo etc. it’s just a matter of finding it.
As a homeschooler (technically former) I endorse this message.
They go to the neighbor's house, knock on the door and ask, "Can Joey come out to play?" just like every freaking generation from the beginning of time until about 1990.
the neighbor's kid:
At least in my area, there is a huge homeschooling culture where they all go on field trips together (I think once a month), do PE together, and just general meet ups. While things have changed for my family and we had to put my daughter in school, when she was homeschooled, she learned how to talk to people of all ages, not just kids her age and she wasn't (still isn't) shy in talking to adults or older kids.
I'm a physician as well, and I get homeschooled kids coming into my office often. The one difference I noticed between the "schooled" and "unschooled" kids are the ones going to public/private school tend to look to their parents to answer all of my questions where the homeschooled kids can talk to me and answer my questions directly. Very interesting to say the least. Granted, small sample size but still.
In the end, people tend to think homeschooled kids are weird. What I like to say is "are you saying when you were in school, there weren't any weird and antisocial kids?", the answer is "of course there were". This is due to the parents typically, some of it could be genetic (some stuff I'm learning on epigenetics is VERY interesting) but I think for the most part it is environmental or the way the kids are raised.
Just my opinion though.
Sports, clubs, homeschool co ops.
The socialization questions is just FUD/propaganda.
My parents always found some homeschool community no matter where we moved.
There are homeschool communities everywhere. My sister in law homeschools and her kids are amazingly well adjusted. They get together for “school” outings, museum, zoo etc. it’s just a matter of finding it.