10 Ways to Socialize Your Children in an Online School

It is common for people to worry about students having the ability to socialize in an online school. Our Facebook followers said that their friends and family had initial concerns when they enrolled their child.

But the comments we received from K¹² families completely debunked the myth that online students aren’t socialized enough.

In fact, some of them weren’t comfortable with their kids’ potential social interactions in a brick-and-mortar school. Stephanie said that she didn’t like the idea of a bunch of strangers and peers teaching her kids morals and values. Others brought up that bullying is a serious issue and they want to keep their children away from that kind of environment. Kelly said that it’s important for kids to also have interactions with adults. Some pointed out that that with online school kids can avoid being distracted by the social drama that often occurs.

Parents shared a plethora of activities that their kids engage in where they get plenty of socialization. Here are some examples:

1. K¹² events, outings, and field trips
2. Sports
3. Church
4. Play dates with friends
5. YMCA
6. Clubs
7. 4-H
8. Girl/Boy Scouts
9. Music
10. Museums

Many parents described their children as “very social.” Anne tells us that her kids met friends through K¹², and they see them often. Her kids definitely aren’t shy, and she thinks that if anything, they’re more social now.

Tell us your experiences with socialization and online school—what do your kids do to interact with other students?

There certainly are more myths about online schools out there—learn the real facts about the top 5 myths about online education.