Anti-Social Weirdos

by Heather
(Hawaii)

I'm not trying to judge, but when I was a kid, I met a couple of homeschool kids and they were anti-social weirdos who didn't really know how to interact with kids their own age. How do I keep that from happening to my children? Any advice will help!

Diane's Reply to Anti-Social Weirdos:

Hello Heather!

Gee, I wish you could meet my children, they're not weirdos! In fact, Annette was asked to go to our local public school's homecoming by a public school friend. She fit right in and had a blast!

But I can understand your concern. I can see where you might think that all of us homeschoolers are a little strange! And we can be from time to time. =) Actually, what I find to be most impressive about homeschoolers, is their ability to converse with anyone of any age. That can be difficult for your average teen today. But you want to know HOW your child can be more outgoing and interact. Here are a few suggestions to get you started...

Join a Club - Have your children join 4-H or the Scouts or AWANA. We had enough interest here that we had our own little Homeschool 4-H group, allowing us to meet later in the afternoon instead of at night. (Most homeschoolers would rather not run off to a meeting when Dad is home from work.)

Play a Sport - You could also join the YMCA or Little League or a soccer team. Many homeschoolers enjoy playing for a team. Others do not. Mine chose to play just for the fun of it.

Learn an Instrument - If your child is interested in playing an instrument, search out a band or musical group he could join. Some churches allow their youth to play for services, for example.

How about volunteering? Ringing bells for the Salvation Army around the holidays would put the social skills to the test!

Be in a Play - Try out for a part in a local play or organize a small one of your own. Our homeschool group had such an overwhelming interest in doing plays, that we preform one per year now. It's a wonderful extra-curricular activity. You could start by performing at your local library like we did.

Homeschool Meetings - Locate a homeschool group in your area. Lots of times the meeting will include something the children have done. This will give your children an excellent opportunity to meet with other homeschoolers. You'll find out if anyone has organized a field trip, too...another way for your children to interact with other children!

Home really is the best place for our children to speak correctly and use courteous manners. When they have those great qualities going for them, who wouldn't want to get to know them a little better?!