Nurturing Social Skills in Homeschooled Children

Written By Thalia Schertzer - 11 years old

As a homeschooler parent, you probably know that socialization is an important aspect of development. There are many ways to increase socialization for your children while homeschooling. In this article, we will explore tips and strategies to help your child develop social skills and form meaningful relationships with peers. Let's dive in!

Host Playdates 

Organizing play dates can be a beneficial way to encourage your child to socialize with other children. You can invite homeschooling families to come over for a day of entertaining activities, which will provide an opportunity for your child to interact with pupils their age and build relationships. 

Role Play

Role playing can be a very rewarding and fun experience. This is a one-on-one activity that you, as the parent, would complete with the child to help him/her develop social skills. First, you (the parent) come up with a scenario and have your child act out the role either assigned to him/her by you or chosen by him/her. This is a great activity to try out together, which also encourages bonding between you and the child. So why not give it a go and see just how much fun you can have together?

Homeschool Co-ops

Consider joining a homeschool co-op or attending homeschool events to connect with other families and, in the process, make new friends. If none are available in the area, there are always ones that are or can be hosted online, for instance on Zoom and Google Meet.

Church

If your child doesn’t already attend Sunday School (e.g. Junior Church, Awana, or Vacation Bible School) at your local church, this is a definite opportunity to instill some solid social skills while learning about Jesus - two loose ends with one! 

Remember to pray about it. What bothers you bothers God, and He genuinely cares and wants what’s good for us more than anyone else (Ps. 138:8). This is probably the best tip of all.