Mike Smith:
This week, we’ve been talking with Rachel Gathercole, a homeschool mom whose book The Well-Adjusted Child has just been released. Rachel, homeschooled children typically spend lots of time with their families. How does this benefit their socialization?

Rachel Gathercole:
Well, you’re absolutely right, they do. And not only does it benefit their socialization but I would go so far as to say it’s actually the key to it. There are so many advantages to kids spending time with their families that it would really be impossible to go into all of them. But one is simply that time together strengthens family relationships. Homeschoolers report this again and again. They get to know each other very well, kids tend to view their parents as allies rather than adversaries, and the entire family has to learn skills for getting along well with each other and resolving conflicts. That includes both parents with their children and siblings with each other. And the strong relationships they have with their parents and siblings are enormously important to children. They’re models for future relationships, models for current relationships, as well as fortifying kids with a strong foundation for moving out into the world and the skills that homeschoolers learn by interacting with their families’ day in and day out stay with them their entire lives and so do the relationships themselves.

Mike:
You know, Rachel, that’s a great perspective. I really appreciate it. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.