“That-Mom” & Socializing Homeschoolers

“What about the lack of socialization?”

“How will she learn to make friends?”

“Isn’t he lonely?”

Comments like these never convinced me to enroll my children in public schools, but they did cause me to seek ways for my children to socialize. One of those ways always seemed to be, “That-Mom”.

When we moved back to our home state, with four eager students (ages 0, 2, 4 and 7), the first job on my list was to find local homeschooling groups. This was more difficult in the 80’s when homeschooling was still a rare phenomenon, and technology was limited.

Undaunted, I used my extra-long 25’ telephone cord (to escape child noises), hid behind corners, and made random calls. I was often referred to “That-Mom” who homeschools, or “That-Church-Where-Homeschoolers-Meet” or “That-Family-Down-the-Street”, and so forth.

I still remember “That-Mom” who organized field trips and invited several families to tour a foundry. (I didn’t even know what a foundry was.) I remember “That-Retired-School-Teacher” who helped my daughter “C” dissect a dog shark. I remember “That-Artist” who tutored “M” in oil painting. I remember “That-Telephone-Pole-Repair-Man” who took my son “L” up in his bucket, and I remember “That Farmer-Dad” who invited his daughter’s friends to come see a new litter of puppies. I know “That-Mom” who invites children for a wide variety of art projects, cooking classes and gardening adventures.

“We-Moms”, “We-Dads”, “We-Retirees” “We-People-Of-All-Walks-Of-Life” are some of the best homeschooling resources I know.

Our children must not only gain friendships with same-age-peers. They must learn to socialize freely with anyone, any age, any race, and any socio-economic group. The advantage of home-schooling is that parents and caregivers can choose and direct the influences others have on our children.

So – Be “That-Person”!

by Meg (Homeschooling mom of 9)

MS, Exceptional Student Education (Univ. of W. Florida) emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis