If I could wave a magic wand and give you one single thing to help you on your homeschooling journey, it would be this. Finding community as homeschoolers is so incredibly important. You don’t need a huge number of people, but you do need a few people who understand and are in your corner.
A lot of us start out homeschooling without knowing anyone else who has lived this life. It can be a huge and daunting step to commit to a path no one else you know is walking. Some of us are fortunate enough to have supportive friends and family, but many don’t. It can leave you feeling like you can’t talk about the everyday troubles you face, because you have to be the perfect poster family for homeschooling. Otherwise every (perfectly normal) thing your kids struggle with will be used as proof that you chose wrong.
Being able to spend time with other homeschooling families is such an amazing experience! It lets your kids make friends they can see during the week. It gives you someone who can you can relate to. It lets you marvel at the calm of an experienced homeschool parent (and in time learn their secrets!). You get the chance to reassure other parents just starting out. On top of it you will probably build friendships that will last a lifetime.
So where are you supposed to find these magical beings who will change your life? The first thing you should try is seeing if there are any homeschool groups in your area. Depending on where you live, these might be regional (specific to your town for example). That is very common where I live. Some are very strict about their boundaries, others will be flexible as long as you are willing to travel to events. Groups like this are often larger, and have a diverse membership.
Sometimes groups are formed based on style of homeschooling. You are more likely to find this in larger areas, or places where a certain type of homeschooling is popular. This can be a great way to get very specialized support and share resources. It is also a type of group that often does co-ops since you are all following the same methods or principles. Likely to be smaller groups due to being more specific.
Some homeschool groups target a specific age range. A group for homeschooled teens would be a good example of this. You can absolutely find this sort of group within larger organizations, but they don’t need to be. It can be a huge bonus to be able to target activities to a specific age group sometimes.
Field trip groups are often a very informal way of meeting other families. Often they are as simple as a Facebook group where members take turns planning local outings. A good way to get out and about and hopefully start seeing some of the same faces!
Try joining daytime activities aimed at homeschoolers. Sometimes these are offered through larger groups, sometimes you have to go looking for them. Sports lessons, swimming, art classes, museum days… sometimes these classes are hiding in plain sight! Try your local library too, you never know who they might lead you to.
If you aren’t having any luck finding established groups, start one! It’s nowhere near as complicated as you would think. Start simply. Advertise for members. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while! New programs can take awhile to get off of the ground, and meeting even one new person is a connection that you didn’t have before.
Lastly, it is more than alright if some of that community you build is online. There are groups, pages and forums for every king of homeschooling you can imagine. Somewhere, someone else has had the same question. If your pool of new friends is small, or meeting them is going slowly, online friendships can be wonderful, Just make sure to meet some local friends too. Preferably the kind who drop off soup when they know that you’ve been sick.
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