Socializing your homeschooled children

We were at a volleyball tournament for the 5th graders. Every elementary school in the school district has more than one team and we have a week's tournament. I was talking with a public school elementary teacher today. She was asking about my daughter's school. I told her which team she was on and also mentioned that she was homeschooled. The look on her face was, well, typical. Astonished that I would homeschool my child and have the nerve to mention it at all. What is wrong with her? She didn't ask that, but she did ask me was she socialized enough.

My daughter socialized? No way! She's locked in a tower with only bread and water throughout the school year and I don't let her talk to anyone outside the family! Didn't you know that's how all homeschooled children are!?!

HAHAHA! No that wasn't my answer! I answered that my children are very much socialized, possibly more so than the public school children. She didn't comment further on that part of it so I didn't continue. But we did have a great and wonderful talk about why I homeschool and our structure and the like. The conversation was very nice and pleasant. She seemed confident that I wasn't some lunatic.

But if she were to ask I would tell her that I believe homeschooled children are more socialized because they have the opportunity to interact and communicate with children of all ages and adults that don't always treat them as "little" children. I know most of my peers do not treat my children as though they have to be coddled. By that I mean that in public school the teachers really have to mind themselves so they don't offend a child so much that it steps of the parents toes or the school systems. But out in the un-institutionalized world of homeschool people are people. My children are children, but not in the sense that everyone treats them as such. They are seen as responsible. I am complimented and thanked often when we're out in public for having such behaved and respectful children. Not that they always are, but more often than not they are.

So as for homeschoolers being socialized. Well yes. I don't live in the boonies where my closest neighbors are the bears and birds. I live in a very nice community. And hey, my daughter was there in the public school volleyball tournament wasn't she? Having friends and making more. Knowing a little less than half of the children there from church alone. That was fun to see them.

The average public school child does not socialize much with any other age group other than their own til high school and then it's not all that often. They interact with adults that are constantly correcting them and being only their authority figures instead of their mentors and leaders and confidants.
Homeschoolers are more ready for society when it comes along than the average child in public school.