Socialization

[SchrodingersMeerkat]

I was homeschooled since the 5th grade. My mother wanted to homeschool me since preschool but since I was originally a foster child she was always worried about family services finding out something wasn't "right" and swooping in and taking me away. The main reason she didn't homeschool me from the beginning was because people were like "But she needs to be socialized!"

I always wondered what this meant. Especially since we always had lots of dogs and animals my mother talked about having "socialized"...mostly so they wouldn't be aggressive and potentially dangerous when they got older. But how does that work out with a human? Public school sure didn't teach me any good social skills.

Anyway, I told my mom that if anyone ever asks her how I was socialized when being homeschooled, to tell them I went to obedience school and puppy classes. When I think of an unsocialized person, I think of some made up tribe of people in a jungle with sticks on fire that they point at anyone who dares come to their jungle. But still, they seem to not fight with their families and other people in the tribe. This whole "socialization" concept for humans is weird.

 

[John M]

I don't disagree with you that socialization for humans is weird but think of socialization as the rules of conduct for humans. There are plenty of humans that look for ways to not follow the rules but there are also many that try to follow them. When the humans that folow the rules figure out that some don't they sometimes try to make the humans that don't pay. Animals are different, they follow their own rules unless they themsleves are broken in some manner. Sometimes humans break their own rules when they want if they think they can get away with it. This is what's confusing. Some humans care and some don't. Animals follow their own rules regardless. If you want to be around humans sometimes then be around the ones that care. It's somewhat arbitrary but focus on what humans do, not on what they say. That's about the best advice I can give.

 

[OkRad]

The mind and brain evolved in strange ways. I enjoy learning about Evolutionary Psychology which helps me understand a lot of human behaviour and also when it deviates from a norm. Some people just have an evolutionary accident that occurs. The mind know it. If we were animals with an evolutionary accident, we would just go with it or die. But humans know and so we help those who need it on one side and are aware of it if it is us with the deviation. Humans are terribly complicated by consciousness.

 

[Fino]

It's not like home-schooling is complete isolation. There's still socializing with other kids.

 

[SchrodingersMeerkat]

It's not like home-schooling is complete isolation. There's still socializing with other kids.

Not exactly with me. All the other kids in my neighborhood were jerks. I wasn't completely isolated. There were adults and I had animals. Seriously, where an adult life are you going to be trapped with 20 plus people the same age as you?