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Homeschooling: Socializing, friends, and support
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Courtesy www.jeffreeder.com
Now that you've made the leap into homeschooling, you may start getting questions about "socialization". Well-meaning friends and family outside the homeschooling community may think that your educational choice will limit you and your children's opportunity for friendships and "socializing". They fail to realize that homeschooling doesn't mean you are going to isolate yourself from the world you live in. You and your children will still have the same opportunites to create friendships with those around you through community activities, church, sports, and even everyday activities such as going to the grocery store and bank. In fact, as homeschoolers, your children have the potential to experience a vast array of social interactions with people of all ages. Interactions that aren't normally experienced by children who attend a traditional public school because they are limited to interacting within their own age group during school hours.
At some point, you may want to form a few friendships with others that have the same schedule or challenges as you. In this case, you may have to do a little more work to find the kinds of friends you are looking for. Finding a support group in your neighborhood is a great way to meet friends for both you and your children. In Philadelphia, the best place to start looking for a group that meets your needs is on the website, "AskPauline". Pauline Harding, creator of the website, is a longtime homeschooler whose site is specifically for homeschoolers in Pennsylvania. Her website has a page with contact information for almost every homeschooling group in Pennsylvania. You can also log onto Yahoogroups.com and do a key word search of "Philadelphia homeschool" to find local groups. Once you've found a few groups in your area, ask to attend one of their meetings or activities in order to determine if the group is a good fit for your family. Some groups exist purely for friendship and support while others may focus on providing educational opportunities, classes and field trips for it's members. Most homeschooling families choose to become members of more than one group in order to meet their needs. And, some groups exist merely as information outlets to circulate upcoming opportunities for homeschoolers.
If you are unable to find a support group that meets your exact needs, you can always form your own group by advertising on one of the online support groups listed on the AskPauline website or the Philadelphia section of Craigslist.com. When I moved to Bucks County, I was unable to find a homeschooling group that fit the criteria I was looking for. I wanted a group that was focused on getting families out of the house and into exploring the world around them. So, I started my own homeschooling co-op focused on field trips, nature classes, parties, and fun. Forming your own group may seem like a daunting task, but it becomes easier once you start meeting other like-minded people.
The following groups are a great place to start:
Central Philadelphia Homeschoolers
Northwest Philadelphia Homeschoolers
Homeschoolers in Delaware County
Eastern Montgomery County Homeschoolers
Eastern Montgomery County Inclusive Homeschoolers
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