Can I Homeschool My Only-Child?

3 Ways to Ensure Your Only Child is Socialized When Homeschooling

Perhaps you like the idea of homeschooling, but you are afraid to homeschool because your child has no siblings. You worry your child will be unsocialized if you homeschool him. Many homeschooling mothers have agonized over this question, only to find their distress is unwarranted.

Homeschooling an only child can be just as fulfilling as homeschooling several children. Sure, you might have to put in some extra effort to go out and meet people in your community, but have no fear – homeschooling is feasible with only one child. Indeed, families with multiple children need to get out and play with others who are not their siblings too.

Below are three solutions to make sure your only child is effectively socialized when homeschooling:

Socialization Solution 1: Child finds family in their homeschool group.

An only child can find many friends in their local homeschooling coalition or group; homeschooling groups often form for this reason. Mutual socialization is as important to other families as it is to yours. Hence, other homeschooling parents will usually be happy to have their children investing in a relationship with yours.

Lisa Rivero, homeschool mother, and author of The Homeschooling Option found her son was much closer to his friends in their homeschooling group compared to other families with multiple siblings. Homeschooling groups are ideal for forming friendships your child will carry into their teenage years and beyond.

Socialization Solution 2: Child finds family in their church.

One of the great things about church is its ability to give family to those who have no family. Homeschooling parents will find socialization in homeschooling groups often overlap with their church body. Many

Christian homeschoolers find they socialize at church and then socialize with the same group of children from church other days of the week through tutoring events like homeschool coalitions or independent play dates.

In my experience, churches are excellent places for homeschoolers to be raised. Children grow up respecting their pastors, elders and other older members in the church. These older members become a part of their peer group. Older people in your child’s peer group is a great substitute for peer groups in school as older people are almost always wiser than young children. Bonding with church members only intensifies if a child is an only child, as he has less attention from siblings inside the family so has to look outside the family for relationships that don’t involve his parents.

In addition to Sunday church, Bible studies and church youth groups can be good places for children to find Christian friends in the wider Christian community. I remember looking forward to Bible study immensely every week as we saw familiar friends and got to play with their younger siblings before they went to sleep before the study started.

Socialization Solution 3: Child finds socialization in community events.

Have your child participate in community groups, athletic events, and neighborhood get-togethers. These are great ways for only children to take part in the wider community and get to know children outside their homeschool group and church family.

When my family was homeschooling, we joined the local cycling, soccer, tennis and table tennis clubs; that was just the sporting clubs. We also joined a singing group, languages and art groups. This list is quite small given the other activities we did. A lot of these groups contained the same people in our church who homeschooled. We also met non-Christians in our sporting groups which turned out to be great places to make non-Christian friends!

Whether homeschooling with one or many children, socialization is pivotal to a good education. Too often this form of teaching is seen as isolated, but

as you can see, there are plenty of opportunities to get out there and make friends – for both child and parent!

Rebbecca Devitt is the author of Why on Earth Homeschool, a book written to persuade Christians to homeschool. Rebbecca is an advocate of Australian Christian homeschooling. She is a homeschool graduate who enjoys fellowship, Bible study and talking to others about Christian homeschooling.

Rebbecca homeschooled in a Christian family after three years in a Christian school (see Rebbecca’s story in her video interview). She attended a church group made up largely of homeschoolers. Rebbecca feels overwhelmingly blessed by her parents, who pulled her out of school to homeschool. She hopes to share the joys of gospel-centered Christian education with others.

The author enjoys being a keen advocate of homeschooling and lobbies state and federal governments on this topic. Rebbecca is married to Tristan and has an enthusiastic dog, Molly, and a cranky rabbit, Chester. She also has a baby boy, Luke (and, yes, he will be homeschooled!). When it comes to writing, Rebbecca likes to write about issues affecting public, private and Christian schools as well as other subjects affecting Christians today.

 In time, Rebbecca hopes her book will affect hundreds of Christian parents, and influence them to choose the best path of Christian education available today, which is diligent Christian homeschooling.