This is the 3rd and final part of a 3 part series around questions posed to the Nomads as it pertains to education. Question 1, Why We Homeschool, was covered in part 1 of the series. Question 2, How We Homeschool, was covered in part 2 of the series. Now we come to a question that it seems that many, many homeschool families receive. That is the topic of homeschooling and socialization.
When we began homeschooling, I absolutely found it odd that one of the very first questions was “what about socialization?” I was not asked about quality of education, type of educational structure or anything education related. It was around socialization.
As a parent, it is my responsibility, along with Mama Nomad, to raise 3 honorable and respectful young men. In public school, children mimic the behavior and learn socialization skills from other children who are still learning and developing socialization skills. It is like having someone who wants to drive learning from someone who has no skills in driving.
Before we went Nomadic but after we began homeschooling, we lived in Missouri, Florida and Texas. In each location we joined homeschool groups. In Naples, the homeschool parents would throw get togethers. You would expect kids to quickly separate from the parents. This was not the case. The dozens of kids (youngsters to adolescents) would actually sit with the parents to discuss current events, politics, history, etc. They were all socializing at an adult level. It is our opinion that this is the ultimate objective in socialization; to be able to interact and socialize at an adult level with people of varying backgrounds and interests.
When we lived in Austin, the homeschool group had a few thousand families that belonged to it. There were even homeschool sports teams, dances (proms, valentines dances, etc) and other events. Honestly, our children had more active social lives in homeschooling than they did in public school.
What is interesting is that while kids are in public school, they are supposed to be learning. They make time to socialize in between classes and in class. So, it is a mixed message. They are supposed to be education focused but they are socialization distracted.
While on the road, the Nomad Boys have each other as friends. They keep in contact with other friends on Skype through video conferencing. And they learn how to make new friends or friendly acquaintances while traveling. So, they learn how to socialize with different people from different backgrounds and walks of life while maintaining meaningful relationships with friends that they had before.
When it comes to socialization and education, Mama Nomad and I believe we made the best decision possible for our boys. We believe in focusing on education during educational times and socialization during social times. Each family varies and each family has their own set of focuses and objectives. These are ours and they work for us. We hope you have enjoyed our 3 part series on homeschooling on the road. If you have any questions you would like us to address, feel free to use our Contact page. Safe Travels.
