Homeschooling is a growing trend among parents who want to take control over their children’s education. However, socialization is one of the most commonly mentioned disadvantages of homeschooling. Kids need to be around other kids to make friends their age and develop social skills. Schools are usually the place where children bond with other people and learn to interact with their peers.
But, there is a solution to this problem. Hosting exchange students is a great way to offer your children the socializing opportunities every kid needs. It not only helps them make friends but also adds so many advantages in terms of their social and cultural understanding of the world from an early age. By hosting exchange students, your kids will have the chance to learn about different cultures, languages, and even cuisines. Not to mention, it can be a fun and rewarding experience for the whole family.
In a series of articles we will describe why hosting is the best way to deal with the socializing aspect of homeschooling:
- Hosting an exchange student helps kids cultivate more meaningful, life-long relationships. Unlike hanging out with a friend only when they’re in the mood, living under the same roof means riding to school very early in the morning when no one wants to be cheerful, eating dinner together after an exhausting day, and everything in between, in stark contrast to today’s texting and IM’ing among ‘friends’ whose experiences often remain superficial. Adapting to living with someone raised by different parents can teach our kids much about their tolerance for different habits, and become better communicators and more cooperative, assertive, flexible, resilient, patient, grateful, compassionate and forgiving adults — which is important as a college roommate, spouse, or business partner.
Next week we will over other advantages of hosting exchange students for homeschooling families.