the term socialization is defined as:
1. To place under government or group ownership or control.
2. To make fit for companionship with others; make sociable.
3. To convert or adapt to the needs of society.
the top definition sends shivers down my spine for obvious reasons. ownership and control are pretty strong words!
the second definition is all well and good. of course, i want my children to be considerate and loving of others. one might argue (not me of course, cause i hate to argue - ha ha ha) that home-schooling gives them more opportunities to be sociable with a wider range of age groups better equipping them for the future. after all, once you graduate from college you don't continue to travel in same-age social herds. you work with and communicate with people of differing ages. most home-schooled children learn this skill much earlier than traditionally educated children.
the last definition also sends chills to my soul. it states, "convert or adapt to the needs of society." society is adapting to sin at an alarming rate; that's certainly not what i want for the girls.
further research into this topic revealed the goals of socialization.
Arnett,[1] in presenting a new theoretical understanding of socialization (see below), outlined what he believes to be the three goals of socialization:
1. impulse control and the development of a conscience
(shouldn't that be the dad and the mom's responsibility not another child or teacher?)
2. role preparation and performance, including occupational roles, gender roles, and roles in institutions such as marriage and parenthood
(these roles have been completely skewed by our society from there original intent. do i want the girls to understand these roles and others as God designed them or as man has distorted them?)
3. the cultivation of sources of meaning, or what is important, valued, and to be lived for.
(once again, shouldn't this be the responsibility of dad and mom - especially christian dads and moms. what if those cultivating your children have different values?)
i believe that the family is the primary unit of society. it is also the first institution established by God. a child learns unconditional love, trust and faith from their family. his status doesn't change on the whims of his peers. it is constant. he is always loved and taught to show love. the child learns values, principles, and truth from people who have his best interest at heart. the child will learn to value creativity and their own uniqueness from those who encourage them to think outside the box and be what God created them to be - instead of being shoved into the box and told to be like everyone else. (yuck! the world would be so boring if everyone conformed to the ordinary!!! i'm so thankful that isn't God's desire for his children!)
can a christian kiddo survive public school and turn out ok. - absolutely!!! i think they will struggle more because for 8 or more hours a day they will be enveloped in lies from every direction, but it can work.
also, not every child should be home-school and not every parent should home-school!!! trust me, i'm not for home-schooling if it's not done well! every parent needs to figure out what's best for their kiddo. maybe that is public school, or private school(that's another post) or home-school.
btw, our oldest went to public school in k5, so i'm not just defending the home-school movement b/c that's what we do. we've been there and done that. yes, she was socialized by other five and six year old kids. it's not all that it is cracked up to be.
