To co-op or not to co-op...(crosspost)

[Stayseeliz]

We've done a couple of co-ops and loved the monthly co-ops when my kids were younger. Now my kids are getting older and they really, really MISS co-op. Next year I'll have 6th, 4th, K and a 2 year old.

 

We have a couple of choices. One is a co-op from 9-2. It has IEW, science, literature, nutrition, art and social studies. I have to teach or help teach for two periods at that co-op. When DS would be in 7th grade they have cool stuff like science with labs, speech, logic/critical thinking, etc. Our other option is an "extracurricular" co-op that is a drop off co-op. They have IEW, fun science, music, art and a light social studies.

 

I'm REALLY torn. The more intense co-op in Mondays from 9-2 35 minutes away and I have to help teach. The lighter co-op is Thursdays 9-1 but I don't have to help teach. We don't have much interaction with other homeschoolers on a regular basis since we live 30 minutes away from most homeschoolers we know. The kids REALLY miss co-op. But I don't want to overcommit us and I feel like the more intense co-op would get to be too much eventually.

 

One of the advantages of the more intense co-op would be more of a community feel. They get together other times and do things, you get to know other people, etc. The lighter co-op won't feel like that since it's drop off. People go their own way and do their own thing.

 

I'm really torn! Both are a commitment. I don't feel like we NEED them beyond IEW and art but my kids really want to do it and as my son gets older I feel like he does need things like labs, logic, etc.

 

I worry about a co-op getting to be too much of a commitment. But I also worry about not being able to provide my oldest with the classes he needs as he gets older. It's pretty chaotic around here with a preschooler and toddler. And my kids are SO social. I'm torn..

 

Thanks for any input..

[Ann.without.an.e]

I don't think anyone can answer this question for you. Everyone feels different about co-ops and every family has different needs. Also, every co-op brings its own dynamic and pros/cons.

 

If you help teach, where will your two year old be? If it is a nursery/child-care, have you visited? Would you truly be comfortable with your child there? Is there a substitute option if you or a child is sick?

 

Which co-op puts you closer to your own community? If it is a great co-op that is 30-60 minutes from your house, how is that going to work with friendships outside of co-op? If you life 35 minutes one direction and a family you like lives 35 minutes the opposite direction....complicated?

 

All of this said, my kids love co-op.

[DarlaS]

The lighter co-op is one hour a week? What can they possibly do in such a little amount of time?

 

I would say do the lighter co-op until the kids are a year or two older, but one hour? Our park days are longer than that.

 

The distance didn't even register. We are about 25 minutes from our co-op, and 25+ or so from the nearest bigger (pop @ 10,000) town. Our tiny town has about 3,000 people. We drive places. :auto:

[sassenach]

I'd go with the more intense one, personally. I don't like drop off co-ops.

[Stayseeliz]

Sorry, the lighter co-op is 9-1 not 12-1. That was a typo on my part. We did do the lighter co-op for one semester two years ago but they were flooded with people and overwhelmed and I had a newborn.

 

There is NO co-op closer to my community. There aren't a ton of homeschoolers in the town where we live so we drive to the next bigger city for plays, field trips, parties, etc.

 

I miss the homeschooling community I had when my kids were younger. That is why I'm leaning toward the more instense co-op. I would need to teach but I know my kids would be making friends and I'd be meeting more people. I miss having that community. We go to a small church plant and my kids do sports close to our house but there aren't any homeschoolers involved with those things. I want them around other homeschooled children. My 2yo would go into a nursery during the two periods I would teach but it is a good environment and right next to where I'd be teaching.

[Tess in the Burbs]

I have no great input. My kids have visited co-ops and wanted to do it. I just didn't like the situation. I like doing what I like doing. We did a small co-op with friends a few years back and it was ok. We are doing one now(one class, I don't help) and it's ok. I think I realize now I don't want to help teach a group of kids. We are looking around for something in the fall. I think fun class is more our choice and me not helping.

 

But it took years to get to the point of understanding what I can tolerate to balance with what my kids want.

[mom2att]

To me community is the biggest part of the co-op experience, so I'd go with the more intense co-op. In the co-op that I have been part of for the past 10 years, we joke that we do all that we do to have time together with other homeschool moms, and the classes for the kids are just a bonus. So the drop-off one would be out for me. How exactly is that a co-op anyway?

[DarlaS]

I'd go with the more intense one. Sounds like the other one has already not quite worked out in the past?

 

Depending on the personality of your two year old of course. Clingy phase? No way. Likes new experiences and is somewhat adventurous? Go for it!

 

Do you get some leeway in what you teach or do they have specific ideas they want you to implement? Our co-op is a little of both. I'll be doing 7/8th grade General Science next year + one class of my own design (Engineering for 8-11 year olds). It's nice since one class is sort of ready to go, and the other gives me a chance to come up with some neat ideas of my own.

 

And yes, getting something out of it yourself is absolutely necessary. :)

[Stayseeliz]

When I tried the lighter co-op it was just a bad time for them and me. I wasn't sleeping through the night having such a little baby and they were overwhelmed by too many people. I don't love the idea of dropping them off though. Especially my 5yo DD. I never went far but I didn't like the idea of leaving her.

 

I can pick what I want to teach at the more intense co-op if we sign up early enough. They do have certain classes that you have to pick from but you get your pick if you sign up early enough. I thought I'd pick something I enjoyed. Like a lit class for DS and maybe a social studies class for my 5yo or something. Something lighter. I use MFW as a spine so I don't want a ton of homework. But I always welcome any of kind extra science and I really want them taking literature classes and IEW for my oldest.

 

We tried just a drop off class for my oldest this year and that worked fine but they didn't have classes for my younger ones and I haven't gotten to know anyone at the co-op at all! I don't like that. :(

 

This is a hard decision!! I'm afraid I'm going to feel overwhelmed no matter what I do. But I know my kids need to be around other homeschoolers on a regular basis!!

[KungFuPanda]

I enjoy co-op, but I never participated in a weekly one until my youngest was 9. If the academic one will take work off your plate during the week, I'd say go for it. If you are helping, rather than being the lead teacher, you probably won't have too much prep or responsibility. Yes, you'll be "on" all day and come home tired from the activity and noise level, but the best things in life can leave you tired at the end of the day.

 

For me, the weekly co-op means I don't have to teach science or art this year. I do have to oversee homework. If I were implementing my own science program on top of this, I'm not sure it would be worth it. For me, the draw to co-op is about me teaching fewer subjects the rest of the week. Also, my kids love the social aspect, the lunchtime chaos, and the field trips that naturally spring from casual chatter among homeschooling moms. I really enjoy the two classes I teach there AND my free classes to chat with moms while the kids are in class. We DO get to teach whatever we want, so that's very nice.

 

I think the hardest part is just getting up, moving, lunches packed, and there by 9:00 a.m., but I'm not a morning person. Once there, it just flows and we get out at two. I plan an easy dinner (crock pot, take-out, or heat-n-eat) and down time the rest of the day. When my high schooler participated (before she enrolled in public high school) co-op was invaluable as a high school resource. High schoolers seem like the smallest group of homeschoolers, so it was a great place to form peer groups and find out about local classes that offered HS level work. She still hangs with those friends and a group of them even came to see her high school musical.

 

I'd say the social connections are equally valuable as the academic offerings. Still, it has to be a good fit for your family and homeschooling style. In your place, I'd commit to a semester and reevaluate after that.

 

 

[Ann.without.an.e]

If you are comfortable with the environment for your 2 year old and you would like for your family to participate in a co-op...I would go with the more intense one. If you are going to invest time then make sure you invest it in something worthwhile. kwim?

[Catwoman]

It sounds like you're leaning toward the more intense co-op, so I'll just add a quick question for you to think about. Is the curriculum they use at the co-op something you would already be using at home, or will you have to re-vamp your entire homeschool curriculum for each of your kids, in order to use the same stuff the co-op is using?

 

I only ask this because we were in a similar situation, and I decided against the co-op because they were using materials I didn't really want to use for my ds. Initially, I told myself that we could do our "regular" stuff and add in the additional co-op curriculum, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn't going to work out for us. We would have been doubling up on several subjects and it would have been a ridiculous amount of work for my ds. I didn't like the co-op's choices of materials, so ditching our regular stuff in favor of theirs was not an option.

[FriedClams]

I would have a hard time giving up a full school day and getting everyhing done with a 7th grader, so if I were to do one I'd do the academic one. At least that way I wOuldnt lose a full school day each week. Id also try and teach the first two classes so I could have a block of free time to run errands, get a coffee, or grocery shop.

[Stayseeliz]

Thank you all for the input! It is really helping me to think things through. If I did the more intense co-op I would be freed up from teaching science and art the rest of the week. The kids are pretty independent on their LA and math so I'd really only need to oversee homework and do history and Bible with them. I know I really want DS to be doing the science with labs year after next so I really think I need to do a co-op then. I guess it's better to go ahead and jump in and get my feet wet this year.

 

Getting every ready and out the door is going to be a challenge. None of us are morning people!!

[happypamama]

I drive 40 minutes for our co-op because it's worth it for both the co-op stuff and the social stuff, and then we do our errands afterward (our co-op does include time to stay afterward for lunch); last week, we left the house at 8:30 and didn't arrive home until 5:00 -- a long but productive (and fun) day. Our co-op's deal is that you either assist in both class periods, or you teach one of them.

 

Personally, I would consider your littles. Being out so early and so long on Monday might wear everyone out for the week, especially the littles. It does sound very nice, though, and it's not that much longer than the other co-op. But Thursday might work better for your family (it would for mine -- three solid days of work, a co-op day, and then a lighter Friday schedule. And if you don't have to teach, you'll also be free to help your littles get through the day. Either one sounds really great. Also, what subjects are harder for you to get to at home? I think I'd take that into consideration.

[Stayseeliz]

I would use whatever co-op day we do as our "out" day especially since we're driving to the next town over. We'd do DD9's OT and hit Costco, etc etc. We'd get all the "town" stuff done that day.

 

I really do hate dragging my almost 2yo out on days like that. But to me it's not fair that my older kids don't get the things they need because we need to stay home for DD2 to nap. I do feel bad about it sometimes though.

[Catwoman]

Do you have to do all of the classes at the co-op, or can you pick and choose so you end up with a shorter day?

[Stayseeliz]

I think you can do ala carte starting in 7th grade. They do art last though and I really want them to do an art class. I asked a friend about homework today. She said my 6th grader would have IEW homework, science reading, and lit homework. That sounds doable.