Do you belong to a homeschool support group and/or co-op?

[kalphs]

This week's question is, "Do you belong to a homeschool support group and/or co-op?"

:001_smile:

[kalanamak]

Only for gym. We belong to TWO!

[bluemongoose]

We belong to a support group, but not a co-op.

[cin]

2 co-ops (M & W afternoons)

2 Support Groups (CHEC & REACH)

 

We do 2 of each because they are structured a bit differently. The Monday co-op and REACH are less formal, and provide friendship for the girls and I. CHEC and the W co-op is more formal, more academic, and provides a whole different type of assistance.

[MamaT]

I joined a co-op years ago and hated it. I like doing my own thing for academics and my dc have lots of friends and social outlets without a co-op.

 

My 14yo daughter has been begging me to join the co-op at our church, which is academic, but also has field trips, pizza days, etc. Most of her friends attend. I told her I would think about it, but it is very expensive and I wasn't sure we could afford it.

 

Well, they up and asked me to teach their high school math which would make it affordable (they pay the teachers and give them a break on tuition). I said yes for next year, but I'm already grumbling about it. :001_smile:

[elizabeth]

No. The ones in our area are not at all expressive of our values.

[JenneinCA]

No. We do go to a weekly Park Day, though.

[stansclan89]

2 support groups, but no co-ops.

 

The support groups are just yahoo groups where you can list activities that you want to invite people to. We usually just go to gym day or park day (depending on the season) and choir.

 

There aren't any co-ops that are open to just anyone and we've not been invited to any. I'm not sure we would go anyway. We don't have the money and I don't want to teach a bunch of other people's kids.

[TheAutumnOak]

No, we don't belong to a co op or group...I belong to a support network that provides information by email, and sometimes has curriculum sales and such, but no activities to join...

 

We are basically just at home unless we go somewhere with DH...

[Hebrews3:13]

In the past we have been part of several different co-ops. I usually end up hating them by year's end.

 

One I loved, but it required me to volunteer (I still paid a fee also) and it was always at some odd time in the day when I either had to stay all day or leave, drive home the 20 minutes, then come back the 20 minutes. At the time I had very young children (and was pregnant with #4) and I was only interested for my oldest DD and did not want my youngers there all day in "daycare". I made it work, but hated it so.

 

The other one was with a group of friends and I did take one of my younger ones. There was also a significant time and teaching commitment for me and after my Mom died suddenly that year I found it to be very burdensome.

 

This year a few SMALL groups of friends with children the same age are meeting once a module to do the science experiments from Apologia. It has been less tiresome. I have helped many days and other days another Mother does. My younger children are here with their Father (he works nights) on the days I must go.

 

My DD was being taught Algebra with a friend who was a Math teacher. She is a homeschooler now and was doing this as a service (and since she was going through it with her son) for a group of kids. The problem was this year more kids joined than in Pre-Algebra and some are honestly academically behind. They have struggled and she slowed the pace for them to a crawl. I began to despair half-way through the year that they would come even close to finishing the book. So, I pulled her out and picked up TT and LOF from where she was. Not my favorite choice, but something I could live with on the fly.

 

Next year, I really plan to just go it all alone. My children have plenty of social time and while I would like some aspects of a co-op, in other ways I find it confining. I like to go at our pace and take field trips, etc. as we want to go.

 

I also am finding that my DD just has had too many lessons and other things going on to get all of her school work done if she also had a co-op at this age. When she was younger it worked, but with guitar, riding, and her volunteer commitment it has been too much this year and we will be going into the summer I am sure.

 

I wish I could have found the perfect fit along the way. I think part of the reason it was difficult for us too was having so many different ages/levels. There was no good place where we all could go.

 

~Laurie

Edited April 16, 2011 by Hebrews3:13
punctuation

[Literary Mom]

I'm the coordinator for our area's Christian homeschool group and we launched an elementary aged co-op last fall which has been going very well and growing. We've mostly concentrated on fine arts and Latin (I teach Prima Latina). We did a unit on Van Gogh last fall which we were able to follow up with a field trip to the DeYoung Museum in SF for the post-impressionist exhibit. It was wonderful!

 

The co-op is a distinct entity from our group, though, as the director is also a member of the secular homeschool group (as several of us are), and would like it to be inclusive. However, there's more resistance/fear on their part for that than on ours.

Edited April 16, 2011 by Elle M.
typo

[lllll]

...

[bugs]

Support group - The Hive!:D

[prairiewindmomma]

No. There's too much drama. I realize that a number of the rules, written contracts, guidelines, and forms have all come from previous experiences but I'm not convinced that all of the hoop jumping is worth it. Even if I thought that it was worth it, my children would not be allowed to fully participate in the "graduation" and other activities because we are not "Christian enough" for the conservative evangelicals who are on the board.

[susancollins]

Yes,

I belong to a homeschool group association and we particpate in a local co-op at my church. Thanks Susan

[Elizabeth in WA]

Nope, no co-op and no support groups. We do do the lab portions of high school science together with another family, but there is nothing formal about the arrangement; we don't even use the same curriculum for the non lab portions of the sciences.

 

Apparently my inability to designate to public schools extends to homeschool co-ops as well. :tongue_smilie:

[CanaryMelody]

We belong to 2 yahoo group local support groups. Been to a few field trips and such through them. Only participated in 2 co-ops before but not any more.

[Sara in AZ]

We get together with two other families on Fridays and call ourselves a co-op. We have a 4 week rotation: field trip, art, book club, composer study and take turns teaching the lessons.

[Osaubi]

1 large secular co-op. Lots of activities and things to do. There is a very small yearly fee and we are not obligated to do any volunteering or teaching. I think the important thing with this co-op is that the people in charge(there are 5 positions) have 2 year terms. It is run very professionally and it keeps the drama down to almost nothing. When there is drama between kids or parents it is handled in a respectful manner.

 

1 small co-op. Just a few families that have gotten together for years for science. We only do this co-op during the school year calendar.

[Jenny in Florida]

Nope. We've never had good luck finding one that fit us (or where we fit, I guess). I gave up several years ago.

[ocelotmom]

I belong to a fledgling local group, two larger groups mostly centered about an hour and a half away, and I'm still technically a member of the group in the town we moved away from, though I suspect they'll kick me out next time they go over the member list.

 

All of these are more support/activity group than co-op. None of the existing co-ops are near enough for us to commit to attending. I'm thinking of trying to start something here, but relatively informal - mostly a place to go and socialize during the winter, as there really isn't a good indoor option nearby at the moment.

Edited April 16, 2011 by ocelotmom

[marbelinchen]

We belong to one huge support group - about 500 families. They offer one parent night per month, a back-to-school day in August, and a program with all kinds of academic and a few non-academic classes. Because of the size of the overall group, there are local sub-groups. They offer a monthly park day and organize field trips. We love both the local and county-wide groups. We also have a very active forum online.

 

Right now, we're not in a co-op. We had a mini one for RS4K Prel-Level 1 until a couple of months ago, but that fell apart.

[GTJo1996]

I just haven't found the right fit yet. I also enjoy doing my own thing. DD7 has plenty of social outings but I do wish she had a group of HS friends her age. We live in an area where most people do not HS.

[TravelingChris]

Yes to both. We belong to Capital Baptist Co-op which has one class period devoted to a support group for the parent. Also we belong to FISHE which is primarily a soccer program but also has a support group function.

 

I am moving to Huntsville AL and would love to hear about opportunities for teen homeschoolers there. My youngest will be a high schooler and I am looking for co-ops, academies, clubs, etc. for her.

[KrissiK]

We belong to a support group and enjoy it. Just last Monday we took the Amtrak up to Sacramento. A bunch of us went to the train museum, some went to Sutter's Fort, some to the Capitol. There were 80+ of us and Amtrak gave us our own train car. It was a blast!

[kalphs]

Support Group: WTM Forum and Love of Learning http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/love_of_learning

Co-Op: We were members of a co-op in our area, but left because the group was not reflective of our educational philosophy and religious beliefs.

:)

Edited April 16, 2011 by kalphs

[NanceXToo]

Yes, I love mine. It's an inclusive meetup group that does things like field trips, educational tours, playdates, craft days, seasonal parties, playground/sports days and various social and recreational things like that. No academic classes although sometimes a parent might host a one time "class" based on an interest or hobby or craft or just something fun.

[Frontier Mom]

Love our co-op but we just finished our first year. Plan on staying with it as it is a perfect fit for us.

 

Support groups - well I have tried a few but found them to be run by controlling leaders who would not let anyone change in leadership. They were both run by divorced ladies (not that I have anything against this, please don't read that into it) who took any questions of change in leadership to be a personal attack on them. I think I would prefer leadership more family run with something for everyone, even the dads. Any mention of doing anything with the whole family was taken as a violent attack by them.

 

For some reason, this struck me as funny to find two groups in two areas run by similar personalities. Decided maybe this wasn't for me and am happy with an online support group and the WTM forums - my best support group!!

 

I am planning to join another one that comes highly recommended in the fall. My oldest will be a Junior and they have many activities for upper class-men. They also offer many senior events but one must have joined at least one year before to qualify.

[Ginevra]

Yes; I am a board member at our co-op. It is medium-sized (about 80 families); we've been members since my oldest was Kindergarten. The format is to meet 20 Fridays a year in two semesters for electives and unit studies. My kids usually take 5 classes plus lunch, so we are there for the whole day.

[Nakia]

Nope.

[happypamama]

I belong to a support group that has a co-op as one aspect, along with mom/educational/portfolio support, field trips, and social activities. There are people who belong to the support group but who do not do co-op (and I think the co-op is also open to non-support group members, just at higher costs). There are groups around here that are strictly for support and information (generally pretty much just e-mail, with the occasional field trip or get-together), and there are groups that are really focused on a co-op situation. I really like our support group, both from a personal standpoint and an academic one.

[lakotajm]

We belong to a small local co-op. They are doing mostly field trips and park days this year. Before, they had done some classes, but were disapointed with the struggle in getting volunteers, or teaching the classes made them stressed out-maybe both. We also do 2 community service type things/year. Sometimes have arts and crafts. We had an academic fair this year-it was neat! Non-competitive, which I kinda don't agree with. Well, at least not for the 5th grade and up.

 

We used to go to a larger group in a town in the other direction. It has gotten even larger and now they have several classes and sports. I would like to try it. But my kids have been reluctant to switch back now that they have friends in the other. We originally switched when we moved in with my mom because we were a little closer to the one than the other.

 

I feel like if we are going to have a day off from hs, I would rather they do more than play at the park. I can rarely get them to do regular hs on co-op day!

 

Lakota

[Tammyla]

No.

[CountryRose]

We LOVE our co-op! We have 100 families currently attending and a have waiting list to join. Our dd is on the co-op newspaper staff and loves writing articles and poems. She has taken Astronomy, cross stitch, dance, cooking and other fun classes. We usually have extra activities that the students can participate in after co-op, such as science center, swimming, skating, going to the park, etc. :)

[hsbaby]

We have one co-op (well, technically a tutorial), one group that I host every other week at our house, and belong to a local support group. We enjoy them all:)

[Guest Mollycoddled Mom]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our coop! It just started this school year and we have about 10 families involved. We all get along so very well. It is the highlight of my week!

 

I think it makes a difference that we live in Guatemala and so we missionaries kind of stick together very well. We have no family to run to except our immediate and the language is different than our first, and so overseas, one tends to make really good friends.

 

We have an art class for the elementary kids, individual music lessons that we pay $2.50 for 1/2 hour, physical science, biology, and biology 2, and art for the older girls. So far, they've learned weaving from an indigenous woman (we paid for this), knitting, making flowers out of ribbon sewn on material, and now they are making a quilt that will fit on a twin sized bed. They all picked their own material but have the same pattern for each quilt. So neat!

 

But, alas, we are moving to Uganda. The coop is getting more organized and will go until 3 next year with several more classes added like speech and debate, government and economics, apologetics and a literature class that will cover just about all the subjects for the elementary. We're really going to miss out!

 

This GREAT experience has given me the courage I need to start a homeschooling coop in Uganda where we'll be moving.

 

Thanks Dayle Annand for starting this wonderful coop that has definately made my 15 months here in Guatemala such a pleasure!~

 

Marjorie Broce

[Homemama2]

We joined a co-op this year. The kids love it and the people are great. I'm thinking of only doing it for one semester next year, though, because it takes up one day per week (24 weeks out of the 36) and we are getting behind in a couple of subjects which has never happened before.

 

We are also involved in 2 other 'groups'. They have field trips, play dates, and a really FABULOUS field day that I just can't say enough good things about. They have a science fair, art display at the local library, geography fair etc. Our area is pretty big on homeschooling so there are lots of neat opportunities.

[Dmmetler]

Yes-we have a once a week co-op class, where parents take turn teaching from their strengths, for a group of elementary kids (so one week might be science, the next week making soap, the week after that drama....) and a regular support group that has park days and an online discussion board, where parents post suggestions for activities on the "We're going to the zoo Tuesday at 10:00. Does anyone want to join us?" level.

 

For a 6 yr old, it's about right-it gives her some social contact with the same group of homeschooled kids regularly, but it's not part of our curriculum.

[homeschooltoone]

Yes. We love our co-op.

[texasmama]

We belong to a co op. The boys will take science and Latin next year through the co op.

[GMB]

1 co-op twice per month for Biology lab.

[mom31257]

We belong to a support group that offers a few activities for the kids and mom's meetings one night each month.

 

We also attend an enrichment co-op. It meets 3 hours, one day a week for 8 weeks each school semester and has classes for all ages.

[mcconnellboys]

I pick and choose classes from different groups all over town for my son, so I don't really feel as if we "belong" to any one group. We don't really do lots of extra activities with any one group and none of them have a club sort of feel to us....

[ZeldaRules]

In the beginning of the year I belonged to 3 Support groups in my area. I live in a big city, and the groups covered different areas, I am kind of in the middle of 2 of them. The one IN my town is active, but doesn't do many field trips. I can't make their park days because I have too much going on that day, so I will drop that one. I dropped out of one of them (it was a Secular group) because there was just too much drama. Someone posted a field trip about a creation seminar and the fire broke loose. :) Whoa Nelly!

 

Anyways, the group that I am most active in is just a homeschool group. It's not a secular group, it's not a christian group, it is just a group for those who homeschool. There is no drama and I never feel awkward thinking I may not be accepted because of my beliefs or lack there of. I didn't have to sign a faith statement. They do have a co-op that is free and volunteer based. I teach a class at it and I love it. They are very organized and offer many field trips throughout the month 2-3, as well as organize museum classes and other things during the year.

 

I think if more cities & towns just had homeschool groups with no label (Christian, secular, etc), more may join them. This group started 4 years ago with maybe 5 families and has about 180 now. About 1/3 of them are active (meaning they go to a lot of things). I love the co-op because it enabled me to establish relationships with people in the group since I see them on a consistent basis.

 

The problem with the secular group was that there was no elected board, so those who started it ran it, and if you didn't like what they decided, then too bad, so sad. I would never join another group that did not have an elected board because they don't really 'do' democracy - at least that one didn't. :)

Edited April 17, 2011 by vfnelson2

[LibraryLover]

No coops. But we belong to a yahoo group, and a playgroup that has been meeting for over 10 years. :)

[Homeschooling6]

No.

[kalphs]

Anyways, the group that I am most active in is just a homeschool group. It's not a secular group, it's not a christian group, it is just a group for those who homeschool. There is no drama and I never feel awkward thinking I may not be accepted because of my beliefs or lack there of. I didn't have to sign a faith statement. They do have a co-op that is free and volunteer based. I teach a class at it and I love it. They are very organized and offer many field trips throughout the month 2-3, as well as organize museum classes and other things during the year.

 

I think if more cities & towns just had homeschool groups with no label (Christian, secular, etc), more may join them. This group started 4 years ago with maybe 5 families and has about 180 now. About 1/3 of them are active (meaning they go to a lot of things). I love the co-op because it enabled me to establish relationships with people in the group since I see them on a consistent basis.

 

:)

:iagree:

Thank you for posting!

This will help me in forming the foundation for the group I facilitate.

:)

[radiobrain]

Not that you really care.... ;)

 

Other than here, and 3-4 other web forum/list/groups... I belong to 2 local inclusive HS groups.

 

There are tons of religious co-ops here, as well as Classical Conversations, we even have a "homeschool school" that my kids went to for 2 years before I admitted it didn't fit our needs. I cannot participate in anything that makes you sign a statement of faith on principal, and the HS school has it's own problems.

 

I helped start one co-op that failed, as it was too far away for me (long story) and had too many unschoolers, so those of us who were academically inclined would do all this work, the kids wouldn't care or do work, and the parents didn't care either. All the founders left the group and it lasted 5 months after that. It was like mom's club with a knitting, lego and drama class. :tongue_smilie:

 

I am in the middle of starting another one, that I hope will succeed. The parents have a more unified vision of education, even though we are inclusive as far as religion or style.

 

I am involved in a gifted enrichment program that meets on Saturdays for science classes.

 

All that being said, I still don't do much. Other than the Saturday classes, I only do 2 outside things a month. A Boys' writing club (that I run) and a Boys' Chef club. So... I have a lot of support and choices, but choose to stick at home most of the time. I learned from several years of going to everything, that driving around tooo much, sucks. :D

[Jeannie in NJ]

we belonged to 2 different co-op (at the samt time) from the time my dd was age 4 to age 9 (my son is 2 years younger). Anyway I loved the co-ops but my dc didn't . My dc did not make any friends at co-op. My dd, age 15 has friends from church and also from the short time(last year) she attended at public school She has no homeschool friends. My son is special ed and the other moms and kids at co-op were very uncomtable with him so we kinda got the message not to have him at co-op. His friends are all from either the yoyo store that he volunteers at (lots of teen boys work there, ds is 13) and a few from his special ed. class at public school.

 

So basically I loved co-op but my dc didn't so we left (along with the silent and often vocal messagae not to have my son there ).

[laughing lioness]

We belong to an enrichment co op one morning a week, and a academic tutorial one afternoon a week. Both are excellent. LOVE them.

 

I've started a couple, enrichment, CC that morphed into academic and a UMS. The UMS crashed and burned when our house did. The other 2 are going strong.