Socialization

Homeschool has been a pretty common topic around our home lately. And whenever it comes up people who haven’t done it, and who really love us, and our kids, tend to get a little stressed out. They stress how we must work diligently to socialize our kiddos so they don’t become strange or weird, and they usually cite some homeschoolers they know who didn’t turn out socially normal enough for their taste. 

I can totally relate to this line of thought as the only homeschoolers I’d met when growing up fit this category, but how many I’d met that were completely under the radar I will never know. 

And I say “when growing up” because once I hit college, I did meet a bunch of homeschoolers who were nothing short of pretty amazing. 
They were much better read than I, socially very capable, joyful usually, and way more interested in their learning. 

Notice I didn’t say school. 

They were interested in their learning; they loved to learn and were resourceful in how they looked for ways to learn things they were interested in. Also they loved Jesus, genuinely, and when they had questions about him, they read their Bibles or they talked to pastors or teachers. Most of them are now married to other socially normal people and have beautiful children. This was one of my first glimpses into another way of approaching school. 

So recently, after the socialization topic coming up a bit more than normal, I coincidentally read a Post that one of my Facebook friends shared on her wall(maybe it was coming up a bit more in her circles as well). 

And after reading it I followed a link to this post. Where, through grace filled sarcasm, I realized just how socialized my kids are, with people of many ages, races, and ideologies. 

Well, as most “internetting” goes  (I love Quintonisms) that post led to this one which led to THIS ONE. And This one is the one that sent the corners of my mouth upward and my mind spinning. It helped me use mega blocks and measuring cups to teach addition, subtraction, fractions, and phonics in like five minute intervals while Georgia had no idea she was earning today.  I had really been so bogged down lately by the hard work of it all and the self imposed anxiety, that I had whizzed right by the gift that it is to teach my kids. 

So. I thought I’d share our recent socialization 😉 and these links because it’s easy to get bogged down by hard work and mommy anxiety. 

  
Cow appreciation day   
    
    
    
    
    

Getting to make homemade logs for our trains with our friends and innovative Daddy.  

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
 

  
 
And our recent play date  

    
    
   
  I realize it might look like we sometimes have it together, let me not fool you. We have days where we watch way too much TV or have this happen.  

 
We have whole days of discipline and madness. But when there are days like this, or let’s be real, moments like this  

   
I hope to rejoice in God and what he’s doing instead of blinding my eyes and hardening my heart under work and anxiety.