April 9, 2025 – Proper Socialization? Homeschoolers Win!

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Winning at Life

The main reason we chose to educate our children at home was because of the excellent socialization skills we saw in the children of our homeschooling friends. We knew nothing of homeschooling before we had children, so when we saw these children winning at life, we knew we wanted to educate our own children at home.

Dr. Brian Ray’s research over the years has shown that homeschooled children make the best citizens, employees, and are the most civically-minded and well-rounded adults. It starts with the vast amount of positive socialization these children receive during their home-educated years. It’s no wonder that by the time these kids finish high school, they are sought after by colleges, employers, communities, and churches alike. They study hard, work hard, are interested in people, and serve others. They are absolutely the best socialized students. 

What does the Bible say about socialization? 

 “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” Proverbs 13:20

 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 

We teach our kids to give of themselves, care for their neighbor, love their God, serve their community, and keep unspotted from the world. And as they walk with mature, loving, Godly adults, they grow in wisdom. 

Second Corinthians reminds us to come out from among the culture and be a separate, holy people unto our great and mighty God. To do this, we cannot and should not conform to our ever‑changing culture. We must stand firm in God’s principles. 

If we truly want prosperous and successful children, then we need look no further than Psalm 1 which states that prosperity and success come from meditating on the Word of God both day and night. Hard to do when you are in the wrong society. Ours will continue to be the best socialized children out there if they continue to be grounded in God’s Word and surrounded with good society.

We are doing what’s best for their positive socialization by keeping them Home. Where They Belong.

~Deborah

For further reading: Socialization: What’s the Big Deal? 

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Join Andrea Carter in the Old West! Full of Christian messages, the Circle C Adventures series is perfect for ages 9–13. Visit circlecadventures.com.

Danika Cooley

Love Your Neighbor—One Conversation at a Time

Have you had someone find out you are homeschooling? “What about socialization?” was, hands down, the most frequent question I fielded when our kids were young. Usually, the person asking was sincere about their concern. 

What does socialization mean? According to Merriam-Webster.com, socialization is “the process beginning during childhood by which individuals acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of a society,” or “social interaction with others.” What people really mean when they ask about socialization is, “Will your kids know how to talk to people?”

The great news is that God created us to be social creatures. We are made for relationship. Even our children who are terribly shy can learn to talk to others. As homeschoolers, we just may need to work a little harder to make the opportunities for social interaction available on a regular basis.

When our kids were growing up, we went out of our way to provide them with the opportunity to talk to a wide range of people. Our kids:

• Visited with children and their parents at church services and during activities like AWANA.
• Talked to other children at interactive displays at science and children’s museums.
• Learned about the lives of elderly neighbors as we served them.
• Worked together with volunteers as we packed bags for foster children each week.
• Played with other kids at parks and on social homeschool outings.
• Visited with friends during play dates.

Today, all our kids are grown. Like all young people, they have worked to continue getting to know other people. Yet, their homeschool education prepared them to talk to a wide variety of ages, and to both men and women, with ease. God calls us to love our neighbor—and homeschooling provides us with the ability to teach our kids how to do just that!

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About the author

Danika Cooley is an award-winning children’s author who blogs about Bible books, crafts, activities, and snacks at Thinking Kids. Her books include Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible, Bible Investigators: Creation, and the Who What Why series, a line of Christian history for 7–11-year-olds. Grab your free three-week sample of her popular Bible Road Trip™ curriculum here.

Adam and Dianne Riveiro

Lord, Forgive Their Ignorance

If there’s one topic that never seems to go away, it’s the question of homeschooler socialization. It’s the mother of all red herrings when the general public wants to talk about the superiority of the public school system. Look, it wasn’t that long ago that our local public schools in Massachusetts went online only for a year and a half.

And the general populace is worried about homeschoolers and socialization? 

Be serious!

But if you’re reading this, I don’t need to convince you. Your homeschoolers are likely more socially adept than most of their peers. So instead, let me encourage you with how to respond when someone makes an uninformed comment about homeschool socialization.

• Resist the urge to get angry. Many who repeat these misconceptions aren’t trying to be unkind; they’re just echoing what they’ve heard.
• Resist the urge to be defensive. Mom and Dad, you know you’re doing what’s right. There’s no need to over-explain or justify your choices.
• Respond as an evangelist. Use the moment to share the many blessings of homeschooling. It’s an opportunity to spread the good news!
• Respond with grace. Some of the biggest homeschooling skeptics I’ve met have later asked how to get started themselves. A gracious spirit can open doors.

Of course, some people remain willfully ignorant, no matter what you say. In those cases, simply breathe a quiet prayer—“Lord, forgive their ignorance”—and be thankful that your homeschooler has more social skills than they do!

-Adam

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About the author

Pastor Adam and Dianne Riveiro live in Easton, Massachusetts, where Adam serves as the pastor of Liberty Baptist Church. Together, they’ve authored several books, including their newest book Ministering to YOUR Children with Special Needs, published by Ready Scribe Publications. Parents to four amazing kids—Bethany, Kaylee, AJ, and Peyton—the Riveiros are deeply committed to helping special needs families discover joy and contentment through Christ.

Ana Maria Bagnuoli

Home Education Is the Best Socialization Arena for Your Child

In my journey as a first-generation Hispanic homeschool mom of three, one of the first questions I asked before I jumped on this path was, “What about the socialization of my kids?” I was afraid of breaking the mold and stepping into something new. I was raised attending a public school in my native country, wearing a uniform since I was five years old, and believing that school had the best opportunities for me to be educated. My world revolved around school life. To me, school equaled friends, sports, activities, and opportunities to express my talents. But when I became a mother, I began to question the entire system. I prayed to our Heavenly Father asking Him how He wanted our firstborn to be educated, and the answer quickly reached our home and redefined our understanding of socialization.

The moment you decide to home educate your children a new realm of socialization is activated without you even noticing. The world becomes the classroom, and socialization breaks free to happen anywhere at any time. Home education allows and provides infinite opportunities for your children to socialize at different levels. From being able to read aloud notes and essays written in cursive handwriting to being able to order from a menu at a restaurant in a different language, as well as debating in clubs and participating in civic activities where communication skills are vital and challenged, we discovered that socialization is not contained only in a classroom. Home education is the best arena in which to be socialized.

I encourage you to look for the definition of the word socialization and discover that your home is where it begins. Thirteen years have gone by since we began our homeschooling journey, and socialization has certainly been redefined for our home and Hispanic extended family. We now see socialization through the lens of God’s original way of educating children and it is revolutionary!   

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About the author

Ana Maria Bagnuoli is a leading figure in the field of homeschooling, especially in the Hispanic community. She and her husband founded TransitionED, a ministry that seeks to teach Hispanic families to educate their children according to God’s “design.” https://www.transitioneducation.net/

Homeschoolers don’t just learn social skills—they thrive in using them! Beginning Listening and Speaking Skills helps your youngest learners develop strong communication abilities in a natural, encouraging environment. Through this SchoolhouseTeachers.com course, your children will build confidence in following directions, reading aloud, reenacting stories, and expressing their thoughts clearly. With the freedom to practice these skills at home, in co-ops, and in the community, homeschoolers are equipped to engage with people of all ages—proving once again that when it comes to socialization, homeschoolers win!