Not at all. Church is the most common place for social capital, but it's not the only one. I'm giving my children similar experiences by hosting roleplaying games with adult friends. Any volunteer organization where people of all ages meet for a common purpose can fulfill this role.
The other thing I'm doing for my kids that I wish my parents had done for me - I explicitly teach elements of social interaction, like how to introduce themselves, how to ask another child to play, what to do if another child takes a toy out of their hands - things that kids are often expected to figure out on their own. When they can't, they are seen as awkward or shy and have more trouble building that social capital in common situations. The church connection boils down to three factors: more opportunities to practise interaction, more people to practise it on, and some common ground for a starting point. Any situation that provides these factors will provide kids with the social benefits of church.
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Date: 2006-07-12 06:30 pm (UTC)The other thing I'm doing for my kids that I wish my parents had done for me - I explicitly teach elements of social interaction, like how to introduce themselves, how to ask another child to play, what to do if another child takes a toy out of their hands - things that kids are often expected to figure out on their own. When they can't, they are seen as awkward or shy and have more trouble building that social capital in common situations. The church connection boils down to three factors: more opportunities to practise interaction, more people to practise it on, and some common ground for a starting point. Any situation that provides these factors will provide kids with the social benefits of church.