I have a confession to make. I am a homeschooler. I don’t just mean I homeschool my kids, I mean I was homeschooled. I didn’t attend public school until after I graduated from high school. I survived you guys! Not only did I survive, but I thrived, and I am now choosing to homeschool my kids, too. What I want you to know is this: I was homeschooled, and not only was I academically successful, but I’m also pretty passable socially! Many people have doubted whether or not this could happen, but I’m living proof it can. Just like kids in a traditional school environment have to learn how to navigate different social situations and challenges, there are unique challenges socially with being homeschooled as well.

When I started homeschooling my kids, I became keenly aware of the fact that I didn’t just take on the challenge of educating my kids but also of making sure they have community, connection, and friends. It can be easy to slip into a rhythm at home with our own families that doesn’t include finding friends or building a community. The thing is, finding people that you relate to, count on, feel supported by, and can just have fun with makes life so much better.

How do you do that when you are homeschooling, though? It starts pretty simply, but I’ll be honest: you’ll have to leave the comfort of your home. And I’ll admit, it can be really awkward to show up to a park day and not know anyone. To attend a field trip and work to make a new friend. To talk to those moms at the ballet studio instead of just looking at my phone. In many ways, it feels like being a kid all over again.

The exciting and challenging thing is this is another wonderful opportunity to be an example to our kids and model how to do hard things. Talk to them about how you feel when you go to an event and don’t know anyone yet. Tell them how you have made friends in the past. Ask them to tell you about times they have made a friend and how they did that. Then, show up and practice! Just like anything else we are learning, we must try and fail and try some more until we get it right. It’s okay if it's awkward, and it’s okay to do it and be scared. What matters is that we show our kids how to try. The reward is well worth it. A math lesson lasts a day (maybe), a friend can last a lifetime.

See you at the park!