As a home school graduate, I cannot began to tell you how many times people have told me that I need to get out and socialize more with people my own age. For some reason people assume that I will grow up dysfunctional in some form or fashion if I do not. Once upon a time I did bemoan the fact that I did not have any friends my exact age, but as time passed I began to see that it is not the number of years a person has been alive that counts, but the amount of love and understanding they have that makes them good friends.
I once read that something that has always stuck with me. "We are not raising our children to be children, we're raising them to be adults." Now when people talk as if I am missing out, or will grow up into some type of lesser person for not have had extensive communication with people my own age, I laugh. No, I may never have to deal with extreme amounts of peer pressure, and I may know how to have intelligent conversations with adults, but I do not see that as a bad thing. Why should I? The way I look at it is that I actually have an advantage over my peers.
I would love to hear stories from fellow home schoolers on this one. What have people said to you, and how did you respond? Do you think that having only friends your age is an advantage? Or not?
2 comments:
I remember reading an article in Time about homeschooling years ago and somewhere the author said that homeschooled children are like little adults, as if that was a bad thing. I'm sorry, I would want my children to be mature!
Anyway, on to your question, I and my husband are homeschool graduates living far from our families and now we are at a church (that we love) and part of a small group that is mostly other "young couples". Let me tell you, I get so bored with it. We finally made friends with a family with kids that are various ages (teenaged and up) and a grandma and everything and finally I feel comfortable again.
This is the grown-up product of having been homeschooled and around people of all ages all the time. Sometimes I need a break from being around people my own age and stage in life and want to go spend time with a FAMILY. Besides, I'm not a really big fan of a small group that is just young couples since the Bible talks about the older women teaching the younger and I have a lot to learn. (Admitedly, the small group doesn't like to be labeled "Young couples", but that's the people who join because birds of a feather flock together!)
I feel the same way. Very nicely put.
Thanks for commenting,
Kathryn
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