But what about making friends?

This is a good question. But it isn’t one about socialization, it is one about socializing. While those two words are similar, they are not the same. The goal of socializing, is to meet with other people, of similar interest for a similar goal. This can be harder to come by for homeschoolers in smaller communities where homeschooling is not as popular a choice for families, but even still, there are ways for homeschoolers to establish relationships with peers and still enjoy their childhood.

·        Homeschool Support Groups—The term “support group” can conjure up images of discouraged people sitting in a circle passing around a box of tissue while they cry together about their woes. And for parents struggling with their commitment to homeschooling, maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad thing. But a homeschool support group has a much broader intent and function. Known as the support group, or an enrichment group, or a co-op, these extra groups can be as small as three or four families intentionally getting together on a regular basis to play together, or as broad as an entire community of families with organized monthly meetings for parents and structured weekly activities for the kids. Some groups have an academic focus, some an athletic one, and some purely a social one. Smaller groups tend to be less structured and usually cost-free. Larger groups will typically have a board of directors, many structured activities and require a membership fee to belong. If you have trouble finding a group in your area, doing a basic internet search for “homeschool support groups, (your city, state)” usually turns up many options to get you started in your hunt for a social outlet for your family. Also check out email loops for groups in your area. This is a great way to locate other families of similar homeschooling intention to interact with. Larger towns will usually have several; a list for families homeschooling older kids, families with primarily little kids, religious-specific homeschooling families, secular groups, and others.

·        Community Activities—If your area does not have an organized homeschooling group, or if it does but that is not your cup of tea, check into community-based extra curricular events. Some ideas include scout troops, YMCA sports, and community theater. Many community colleges offer a wide array of classes which could be a good way to develop a new interest as well as to interact with others. Some public schools will allow homeschooled children to join them for things such as sports and band. It’s worth a phone call to see if your district has an open policy that your family can take advantage of.