As a homeschool dad to a just-turned-eight-year-old, I worry about this, too. I'm not after "socialization" because that is a two-edged sword. Frankly, I don't want my son to internalize the behavior and thought-process of the typical eight-year-old.
The other side to this is that I don't want to raise a hermit, a misfit, a loner. We try to do that by encouraging (and, yes, sometimes insisting on) "extracurricular" activities...Scouting, Junior Golf and Tennis, Tae Kwan Do, outings with kids from families we like and trust.
Our goal is not to pick our son's friends, but to put him in situations where the pool of possible friends is of as high a standard as possible. So far, it's worked fairly well. We've hooked up with a homeschool group headed by a family we admire, and whose son is just old enough to be an excellent youth role model for our son.
The upshot of this is that we're involved in so many activities. We do our part as adults in volunteering with these organizations. Our homeschooled son has more opportunities for healthy interaction with other kids than the typical public-schooled student (if one takes time in class out of the equation). My nephew is a public school kid, and I love him very much. For him, his life is school and home. Nothing else. I think it's a pity, but that's my sister/BIL's issue, and I wouldn't begin to advise them.
That got a little long-winded, but thanks again for your thoughts.
Sounds like you guys are the ideal homeschoolers. I didn't have any of that. I did play softball for a few years on the city league, but that was only for a few months out of the year and I didn't really make any long-lasting friends.
I have a lot of friends now, but few close ones. I'm not a hermit, but I'm comfortable - sometimes more comfortable - being alone.
Keep up the good work! Your son sounds really lucky - or blessed. Congrats!