1. Gingerbread Decorating Party
This is something kids of all ages can enjoy, from toddlers to teens and makes a great party idea for a homeschool group. All you need to do is have the pre-assembled gingerbread houses ready to go, and ask each family to bring a specific candy so everyone can have a nice selection. With the houses pre-assembled, all the kids have to do is decorate . . . you can use kits or make your own houses. Have plenty of icing on hand!

2. Field Trip
The holiday season is a great time to take a field trip with other homeschoolers. Don’t make this just any old field trip though, instill the essence of the season into it! Have kids gather to assemble shoeboxes or wrap gifts for underpriveleged kids, then arrange a tour (well, arrange it ahead of time) of the charity where you’re donating. Another option would be to make sandwiches and put them in a bag, along with a juice box or soda and a candy bar and then have the group head to the city streets and hand them out to the homeless. For those who live in very cold areas, hit the shelters to give out some warm wool socks and gloves.

3. Pageant
One of the things I always resented when growing up as a homeschool kid was the fact that school kids got to be in Christmas plays. Why not have your homeschool group put on a Christmas pageant? It can be just for their families, or you might want to see if a local hall or church will let you perform it there.

These are just three small ideas to get your kids hanging out with others this holiday season . . . what are you doing this year?

What IS Socialization?

The problem with socialization is that the standard ideal of being social is being with your peers. People assume that children need to be with other children, which is completely false. If you look back 200 years, most children stayed on the family farm and grew up with only their siblings and other adults for “socialization” and the majority turned out just fine.

What Kind of Socialization?

We do need to be around other people, we are social beings, after all. However, we don`t necessarily need to be around others of the same age, as any adult will agree  . . . most of us have friends of varying ages once we reach adulthood. This works the same way for children, there`s nothing wrong with having friends of the same age, but there is also nothing wrong with having older friends.

Also, take a look at schools today. Rampant with violence, racism, and hatred . . . is that the kind of socialization your kids should be getting? For anyone who thinks that homeschooling parents are being unrealistic and socially stunting their children for life, all you have to do is look at the statistics. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 10% of male students and 6 % of female students carried firearms to school in 2006. I don`t know about you, but I don`t really want my children associating with either kids who are thinking about the possibility of shooting someone or the people who are frightening them so badly they feel they need to carry a gun!

Homeschoolers, in general, tend to get along best with adults. And, let`s face it, they`re going to be adults most of their lives, so why not learn to get along with them now? Socialization is necessary, just not with the same age group.