the 'S' word

No, not that 's' word, the homeschool 's' word. Socialization.
I rarely talk or write about socialization because it seems like such a no brainer to me. But I realize as I read comments from those who are basically clueless about homeschooling that it is a concern, especially when the press throws out stories about neo-Nazi teenagers who happen to also be homeschoolers or homeschoolers with 16 kids and such. It should be obvious these days that homeschooling cuts across all levels of society, all cultural boundaries, all economic classes, all religious varieties and is implemented using virtually every kind of educational style. Practically the only generalization you can make about homeschoolers is they school at home.

So what about socialization? Well, in public school you spend 99% of your time with other people who are the same age as you. How often does that happen in adult life? Right, never. Homeschoolers spend time with all ages of kids and have far more direct interaction with individual adults than public school students do. Which do you think makes a more well-rounded adult?
Homeschool students also have more privacy, more control over their own choices (I never make my boys wait until recess to use the bathroom) and more free time to explore their own personal growth (morethanfine). In school, kids have no privacy, no choices and no time to explore.
Finally, it is rare that homeschoolers get their lunch money stolen or have to sit by themselves in the cafeteria (haha.) See why I think it is a no brainer? There is also not even one teeny tiny shred of research to suggest or support that long hours spent confined with one's age mates is good for a child's development, social or academic. It is my (not so) humble opinion, that the structure of public education is actually detrimental to social development and often something that must be overcome in adult life.

The truth of socialization is it is actually a reason to homeschool, rather than an argument against it.