It is a common question: “so you homeschool…aren’t you worried about socialisation?”

I like unschooling Mum Rue Kream’s response, “Yes, but not for my own children.”

This reversal is also creatively captured in the excellent article Conversations From the Future, which is definitely worth a read if you have not seen it already.

Today we were at a market. Our four year old daughter had no problem in going up to a complete stranger and asking about the flowers he bought – what they were called and where he got them.

She is used to communication and interacting in various “real life” situations with a variety of people in a variety of ages. She knows that if me or her mum are around that she can speak to anyone, even strangers… and because we homeschool one of us almost always around.

We have lived in a number of cities and where ever we go we plug into a range of homeschool activities. At these activities there are a cross section of ages within children and many adults (parents) thrown into the mix. The interactions come without compulsion as anyone can leave or engage in the group depending on what they want to do.

Meanwhile at school children are forced to be with a large group of children of the same age with a single adult. They are required to be in a defined space and take defined actions. Any objective reading would describe this as an odd and bizarre social experience that is not preparing children for flexible communication.

So yes… socialisation is a big issue. And it is one of the motivations for us to homeschool.

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