Each homeschooling family requires a support group that can step in when things don’t go according to plan. It is not humanly possible to homeschool your children day after day and not require a break, so there needs to be something for the homeschool parent to look forward to as well. Here are some people who can be a part of your homeschool support group.
Grandparents and other relatives
There is no one you can trust like you can trust family. So if you are lucky enough to live close by to the children’s grandparents or favorite aunt or any other responsible family member, make sure you schedule one day a month to spend with them. The homeschooling parent needs to drop off the children and take the rest of the day off as a breather. Of course the spouse can also be asked to handle the children on a day off, but that may not work very well in all families.
Other homeschooling moms close by
It is a good way to get your children exposed to another adult teacher by taking them for classes to another homeschooling family. This can work really well if the homeschooling parents arrange to teach all the children a specific subject each and the child move in rotation from family to family. This should be a much looked forward to activity and should take place about once a week.
Members of Homeschool Clubs
In most cities social media forums such as facebook and twitter allow you to connect with homeschooling families near you. There are reading clubs, debate societies, musical recitals and even drama clubs that your children can become a part of. It is a good idea to socialize with them by planning a field trip together so that the children get to spend time with other families. Also these are the people who would be able to step in on short notice if you need help. It just makes sense to have your children already comfortable with them.
Remember there is enough help available but you need to choose to accept it. Allow yourself to develop a good homeschool support group and your life will be simpler and richer for it.
