What about Socialization???

What about socialization? (from another angle) Two women meet at a playground, where their children are swinging and playing ball. The women are sitting on a bench watching. Eventually, they begin to talk.

W1: Hi. My name is Maggie. My kids are the three in red shirts -- helps me keep track of them.
W2: (Smiles) I'm Terri. Mine are in the pink and yellow shirts. Do you come here a lot?
M: Usually two or three times a week, after we go to the library.
T: Wow. Where do you find the time?
M: We home school, so we do it during the day most of the time.
T: Some of my neighbours home school, but I send my kids to public school.
M: How do you do it?
T: It's not easy. I go to all the PTO meetings and work with the kids every day after school and stay real involved.
M: But what about socialization? Aren't you worried about them being cooped up all day with kids their own ages, never getting the opportunity for natural relationships?
T: Well, yes. But I work hard to balance that. They have some friends who're home schooled, and we visit their grandparents almost every month.
M: Sounds like you're a very dedicated mom. But don't you worry about all the opportunities they're missing out on? I mean they're so isolated from real life -- how will they know what the world is like -- what people doto make a living -- how to get along with all different kinds of people?
T: Oh, we discussed that at PTO, and we started a fund to bring real people into the classrooms. Last month, we had a policeman and a doctor come in to talk to every class. And next month, we're having a woman from Japan and a man from Kenya come to speak.
M: Oh, we met a man from Japan in the grocery store the other week, and he got to talking about his childhood in Tokyo . My kids were absolutely fascinated. We invited him to dinner and got to meet his wife and their three children.
T: That's nice. Hmm. Maybe we should plan some Japanese food for the lunchroom on Multicultural Day.
M: Maybe your Japanese guest could eat with the children.
T: Oh, no. She's on a very tight schedule. She has two other schools to visit that day. It's a system-wide thing we're doing.
M: Oh, I'm sorry. Well, maybe you'll meet someone interesting in the grocery store sometime and you'll end up having them over for dinner.
T: I don't think so. I never talk to people in the store -- certainly not people who might not even speak my language. What if that Japanese man hadn't spoken English?
M: To tell you the truth, I never had time to think about it. Before I even saw him, my six-year-old had asked him what he was going to do with all the oranges he was buying.
T: Your child talks to strangers?
M: I was right there with him. He knows that as long as he's with me, he can talk to anyone he wishes.
T: But you're developing dangerous habits in him. My children never talk to strangers.
M: Not even when they're with you?
T: They're never with me, except at home after school. So you see why it's so important for them to understand that talking to strangers is a big no-no.
M: Yes, I do. But if they were with you, they could get to meet interesting people and still be safe. They'd get a taste of the real world, in real settings. They'd also get a real feel for how to tell when a situation is dangerous or suspicious.
T: They'll get that in the third and fifth grades in their health courses.
M: Well, I can tell you're a very caring mom. Let me give you my number--if you ever want to talk, give me call. It was good to meet you. --Author unknown