Homeschooling could be fun, fulfilling, and easier than public school. Along with the benefits of not risking being bullied, excluded from friend groups, and not giving in to peer pressure, there comes the factor of being schooled privately. This could make forming close friendships and relationships challenging. How can you make friends as a homeschooled teenager?
You Can Make Friends As A Homeschooled Teenager By:
- Become Involved In Activities
- Participate In Sports
- Join A Debating Club
- Get A Job
- Visit The Library
- Go To Church
- Make Plans With Old Friends
- Meet Other Homeschoolers
- Be Friends With Your Neighbors
- Be Friends With Your Family
Become Involved In Activities
If you go out and do the things you love to do, you’ll meet others with similar interests! Summer camps, volunteer centers, and youth groups will be the perfect opportunity for you.
If you’re already passionate about acting, music, or any other extracurricular activity, be sure to make an effort to talk to people of your age who you may meet in such contexts!
It may also be good to keep in mind that most public schools will allow you to join in on their after-school activities.
Participate In Sports
If you like sports, there’s no reason why you should kick a ball alone or practice playing tennis alone! Check for local homeschools that may have sports programs, and check with public schools. Some local parks and recreation centers have clubs you can join, which means you may also meet other homeschoolers or teenagers from different public schools!
Join A Debating Club
If you’re not a fan of sports, don’t worry! Joining a debating club and becoming part of a team might be perfect for you! Debating clubs are perfect for you to work on your social and communication skills.
In a debate team, you must work together in teams of four or two to make valid arguments about your debating opponents.
This way, you may meet other teenagers with the same views and values as you, which means you’d be one step closer to making a friend, or maybe even several.
Get A Job
If you’re of legal working age in your state, you may consider getting a job with other teenagers and making friends with them!
In such an age where hard work and consistency aren’t valued enough amongst our youth, getting a job would be one of the best ways to earn some well-deserved money and develop perseverance!
Getting a job will also teach you new skills and give you a confidence boost, so why not make form some relationships and make friends along the way?
Visit The Library
Homeschooled teenagers often visit libraries for information or for new reading materials.
At the very least, your library or librarian may know about other homeschoolers or homeschooling families and may have some contact information for homeschool study groups.
Many libraries also offer after-school programs targeted at homeschoolers during the day. If you frequently visit your local library, you may meet other homeschoolers your age who may need some friends too!
Go To Church
Another fun way to form part of a group of friends would be to get to know some of them at your local church for youth. Church children are good influences and polite, meaning they could make great friends!
Church friends are also much more likely to stay with you throughout your life, which most sports friends cannot do, as they move on with their careers and travel.
In addition, you may also find some good mentors in your church who may encourage you to grow in your faith while helping you in your life’s journey. These mentors may be somewhat older than you, meaning you will get some positive influence from older and wiser people!
Make Plans With Old Friends
If you used to attend a public school, this doesn’t mean you can’t stay close to your public school friends.
Don’t let some of your best friendships drift apart just because you can’t see each other every day at school anymore. You and your old friends can still spend quality time together on weekends and talk to each other on the phone!
Meet Other Homeschoolers
If your public school friends are attending school and you are bored, why not find other homeschoolers your age to visit during the day?
If you don’t already know about other homeschoolers in your area, you can search online for any homeschooling groups in your area. Chances are, many teenagers your age are also homeschooled and may be looking for friends to socialize with and join in on some fun activities!
Be Friends With Your Neighbors
Another good way to make friends is to get to know your neighbors better.
Many of us may only wave to our neighbors from across the yard or greet each other as we leave or come back to our house, but getting to know your neighbors on a more personal level could make you good friends!
It’s always good to form relationships with those closest to you, and it almost seems like a waste of time not to try and kindle a new friendship when you live so close to each other!
Be Friends With Your Family
Never forget your family and how important they should be to you. Although you may have formed a student-teacher bond with your mother or father, remember that your family and siblings could often become your best and most reliable source of friends!
Sometimes, we become so caught up in trying to make friends outside of our family circle that we quickly forget to have fun with the people who love us most.
You can try to take your parents on a friend date and ask them if they want to do a fun activity you’re interested in with you. If you like to play tennis, spend your time surfing, or go to a water park, why not ask them to accompany you?