Should you be helping your homeschooled child find friends?
Socialization is one of the biggest questions people have when it comes to homeschooling. Most homeschoolers will tell you that their social calendar is booked full, and it is the least of their concerns. But sometimes it can be a challenge to help your homeschooled child find friends.
Often if you live in an area where you don’t know a lot of people or you are not in a neighborhood or part of a church community, it can be a challenge to see other kids regularly and form lasting friendships.
Sometimes it takes a little looking to find a group where you fit in or an activity where your child really clicks with the other kids, but with a bit of effort you’ll find your child’s tribe (and just maybe yours too!)
Here are a few ideas for helping your homeschooled child find friends to get you started!
Homeschool Groups & Co-ops are Great for Finding Friends
This idea seems pretty obvious, but if you’ve tried some homeschool groups or co-ops in your area and didn’t find a good fit, look in neighboring towns or communities. It is often worth the effort to drive a little further to find a place where you feel comfortable.
Check Facebook for groups, ask other homeschool friends, check local community centers, or the YMCA to see if they host a class for homeschoolers. Often bigger communities offer more, and you can find what works for you! Here are some great tips for starting your own clubs as well.
Find Friends at Library & Community Activities
Our local library hosts a TECH camp each week. It is an after-school program, so it is full of homeschoolers and school kids. It is great because it’s for kids between a certain age who are interested in science and technology, so my son fits right in!
Look around for activities that your child is naturally interested in – art classes, community theater, cooking classes – there are all kinds of possibilities. By finding activities that your child is interested in they immediately have something in common with the other kids and are more likely to feel comfortable and make friends!
Helping Your Homeschool Child Find Friends in Sports
Sports can be a great way to make friends! When kids are on a team together, they work with each other, encourage one another, and ultimately become buddies! If your child isn’t super sporty, consider activities like swimming or track where they are working to improve their own times and evolve individually.
Consider enrolling your child in a martial arts class. It is a great way to stay fit, improve discipline, and make friends! Sports don’t have to be just football or basketball; there are a lot of great physical activities that you can try! Most communities also have rec teams, so it’s easy to get involved!
Form Lasting Friendships in Scouts
Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Campfire…there are many scouting groups to choose from, and they are great organizations for finding lasting friendships for your child. Between weekly meetings, fun activities, camping trips, and more, there is tons of time for the kids to get to know one another and have a great time together! As a bonus they tend to learn a lot too, homeschooling win!!
Hopefully, this gave you an idea of where to start if you are searching for friends for your homeschooled child. Keep looking until you find an activity or two that fits your child’s interests. When you do, there will surely be a great group of kids that your child can befriend.
