Are my kids being socialized?
Aug 11th, 2008 by learningumbrella
It’s funny, but several people have expressed concern that my kids won’t “get any socialization” since I shut down my home daycare. As if seeing the same 4 kids every day in our house was any different from just having lots of siblings!
So, let’s see here. What have we done since we stopped daycare? Last week Carbon was camping for the whole week with his dad and grandfather, and I hear reports that he built a fort on the beach with other children he encountered there. But yes, for most of that week he was deprived, as he fished and camped and had time with his dad and Poppy, but no planned playtime with same-age peers. Just nature and adventure and family - poor boy. Hypatia had a playgroup last week, and I took her to the playground twice where she played with other kids. She also had her nanny days, with all the fun and activity that they gave her. Carbon went to Sunday school, and then we had a family birthday party at our house. Today, my kids have been to the playroom at the YMCA while I worked out (where there were 4 other kids), been to Story Time at the library (way too many kids), and played boardgames at the local toystore (only one other kid). Right now, as I type this, there are 3 neighborhood kids in our backyard playing with the kids.
Of course, it’s summer time, and we are between sessions for our extra curricular classes. But I think they are getting plenty of socialization.
I sometimes wonder if the folks that ask that kind of question are so concerned about doing parenting “right” that they have lost the ability to use their judgement (along with any confidence in their own ability to work it out). They’ve heard “socialization” is important, don’t really know what it is but have heard that pre-school and whatnot are good for getting it, so they have no idea how else you might. I feel sorry for their kids. I hope they aren’t being deprived of opportunities to go camping, fishing, etc because they’ll miss daycare
We are running into some of this again, too. It’s not bothering me as much this time, although I often don’t know what to say in response, as I really don’t feel like engaging in a debate. They can think what they want because I know what I know and I don’t feel like wasting my energy on it. Makes for some long awkward pauses, that’s for sure.
Good grief … what are people thinking when they ask those kinds of questions?
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LOL, I agree with Jove.
Totally agreeing with Jove, too.
Who started this whole “socialization” argument, anyways? Golly, I do agree that it’s important to raise kids that can deal well with a large variety of social settings… but when it’s argued for, over “nature and adventure and family”??? Ugh.