Someone asked me today the dreaded S question.  What is the S question you may ask?  It stands for socialization.  That is always the first thing someone asks when they hear we are home schoolers.  My answer:  what do you mean by socialization?  Do you mean do we have any friends?  Do my children have manners?  Can my children carry on a conversation?  Or do we never leave the house and just stare at the walls all day? 
So think about it people.  What does socialization mean?  Just because they don't spend six hours in a group of thirty children the same age as them all day doesn't mean their not social.  Where do kids get their social skills?  Should they get it from the next 8 yr old sitting next to them?  How about learning it from me their MOTHER.  Now if you keep your kid locked in a closet all day they are going to have some behavioral problems.  But home schoolers do not generally do that.  They see the way I interact with the checker at the grocery store.  Or they learn at girl scouts, dance class, karate class, karate tournaments, horse back riding lessons, piano lessons, or just our weekly play date.  Not to mention at least one friend a week coming over to play or swim.
How does school set us up for real life?  At what point in your adult life do you find yourself surrounded by 30 people the same you are hmmmmmm?  We are able to met and befriend a diversity of people which seems helpful for later on.