making friends is hard

This is not a post about how to make mom friends. Thats a tough one that I HAVE NOT figured out yet. But this is a post about getting plugged into community. Because that's a must. We are not meant to walk life alone, and fellowship with other likeminded people is a great cup filling thing for our lives. 

You know, the whole socialization thing is a big myth in homeschooling. Honestly, even if you don't get plugged into any type of "community" you can still have highly socialized kids. Unless you are locking your children in the house, you children will be socialized. I do think we all need to reframe our mindsets of how we are interacting in the world.

We can't think of socialization as just about peer-to-peer interaction. While this is important for some social skills, we really don't spend much time in life socializing with direct peers. Some of the people I enjoy talking to the most in life are the older ladies at my church. By definition, they would not be considered in my peer group. So think about where you go and spend the most time. Places like:

• Church
• Work
• Grocery Store
• Doctors Office
• Gas Stations

These are the places socializing happens!

When we socialize while out and about, we teach our children to socialize everywhere they go. We are teaching them kindness, empathy, and how to be in the moment. We are teaching them to think outside of themselves and think about the others around them. Teaching our children to say hello to the shelf worker at the grocery store is teaching them in real time that person isn't just a bad stranger but a human who deserves a little kindness too. These are learning moments that simply have a much harder time happening in the public schools.

Sidenote, not saying stranger danger isn't real. Just saying we shouldn't always be in stranger danger mode. We should be aware of our surroundings but not every stranger is someone we should be afraid of.

    Connecting with other homeschooling families

Connection, connection, connection. 

There really is no one way to plug in as you start homeschooling. While none of things are required, I do highly recommend them:

Co-op

This is a way to learn with others. There are so many positives. Co-ops come in many shapes and sizes. Depending on the area you are in, you will have the ability to shop around for a co-op that fits your family's rhythm.

Some things to know about c-ops:

• They are not normally drop off programs and require some sort of parental involvement. Even if that is just watching the exits and cleaning up after.
• Some can offer a la-carte classes while others follow a specific curriculum.
• Co-ops are typically locally run by fellow homeschool families. They are stand-alone organizations. 
• There is generally a low cost. Usually, to help cover the cost of using the space being used or supplies that are needed for individual classes
• Co-ops are generally open about beliefs. One of the points of co-ops is to bring together like-minded families to fellowship and learn together. 
• They are not hybrid schools. 

Convention

Got to a convention. This is a fantastic way to see a large assortment of curriculums and resources at one time. 

While convention is fantastic for this it is also overwhelming at the exact same time because there are so many options. My suggestion would be to attend convention with the goal of just learning and NOT purchasing anything. Chances are all those great convention sales will also be offered at other times of the year. Do not let fomo get the best of you. 

The thing with conventions is they offer chances to go to workshops that will teach you different aspects of homeschooling.

Groups

-Moms Clubs
-Nature Clubs
-Library Activities
-Forest Schools
-Start your own group

 Find community! Join a local co-op, nature group, moms club. There really are so many different options. We need connection, somehow, somewhere.

    Utilizing online forums and social media communities

Social media is a mixed bag. While it is great for seeing what other moms are doing, it can be hard to withstand the peer pressure of it all. Social media can make us feel like we aren’t doing enough or doing the right things. 

Facebook

Facebook groups can offer a lot of support. One great thing about FB groups is that you can find a group that is catered specifically to the way you want to homeschool. Want a classical education group? There’s 10 for that. Want one that is all about secular homeschool? There are groups for you. Want a group that helps find good Christian curriculums and resources? There are a lot of groups for your as well.

Forums

Here’s the plug for my group!

Join me over at Journey2Homeschool community! This is your place to find like-minded parents trying to figure out homeschooling too. Forums are great because they are out of the social media space and tend to mimic real life more. There aren't a bunch of third-party rules we have to follow and stuff like that. We decide what kind of group we want.

Support Groups

HSLDA offers a page that lists the different support groups by state. This is a fantastic starting point for you to actually find local groups. Especially if you are NOT on Facebook. Click here to go straight to their page!

Ok, that was a lot to absorb. Becoming a part of community is hard but important for us all! 

Until next time friends!

Lori

​To Know God and To Make Him Known