Sigh, co-op, do I want to do this?

[FairyMom]

I have a great opportunity to be a part of a co-op with some amazing people. Half of the co-op are my girls' friends. We currently only do drama, but next year they are starting the history cycle again with SOTW Ancient Times on Fridays. If I do this, I know I can't do all I am doing now.

 

For those of you that do a co-op, how much other extras do you do at home? What have you let go? Any opinions, good and bad.

 

Thanks!

[Jim]

We participated in a co-op for science at the beginning of the year. It fell apart after a couple months. For us, it was easy to recgonize the problem. Most parents saw it as a place to drop off the kid(s) and the education part would be taken care of by someone else. If they want to do that then PS is the answer. Then there was the reason why families were hsing in the first place. We're after a stronger education. In this group it was obvious that this was not a common trait and it showed enough that it was nearly impossible to teach anything.

 

We were after a basic science program to build from. It didn't work. I'd shy away from any co-op unless I knew the other families and thier reasons for hsing matched ours reasonably well.

 

Bottom line, I'd have to interview those running the co-op and not the other way around.

[Kuovonne]

This is our first year doing a co-op. It takes way more time than I originally anticipated. My kids love it because they get to be with their friends, but I don't think it's the best academic fit for our family. I don't know if the fun factor and the few things that I can't do at home are worth the time and expense of the co-op. On the other hand, I'm glad that I tried it while my kids are young so that I know what it's like.

 

edited to add . . .

If we had a four day school week, I'd be okay with co-op. However, we also do piano, dance, classes at the science museum, book club at the library, nature classes at the nature center, park day, a girls club at a friend's house, and other field trips. Even though many of these things are only once a month, I find that we often have weeks with only 3 days of school, and sometimes only 2 days.

Edited November 10, 2011 by Kuovonne

[momto2blessings]

I do a co-op with 2 families. We only meet 2x/mo. to keep it doable (we're all a part of other homeschool groups). It's our favorite activity, because the kids get a little chance to play, too. If I had good friends in it, I would try to do it as long as the value of what I was receiving was worth what I had to drop. But if it feels stressful, I would not add it. Tough decision, I know:) Gina

[jennsmile]

We did coop and I don't miss it. It got to be stressful and we would lose a day of school. It has since gone under due to poor leadership and the lack of the leader to articulate her wishes instead of banning members with no warning and being tyrannical. YMMV. But I am happy with no coop at this point. I am pregnant and enjoy having my days to myself.

[PRTGSw2K]

We're currently in a co-op once per week. We meet for 3 hours, and every family has to have a parent participate in some way. DS loves it, and would be happy to continue. I work in the pre-school class, and it's just too much for DD. We have other activities during the week, and by co-op day, she is done. So, we won't be returning next semester.

 

Maybe if DD was older, we would continue. As it stands, it takes up the whole day, and the kids are exhausted when we leave.

 

I'm looking forward to having easier days at home with only one morning out.

[2_girls_mommy]

I am the opposite of others on here. We belong to a co-op. It is not particularly educational in the elem. grades. I use it as a supplement to what we are doing at home. I am teaching latin there this year. I spend that hour once a week really prepared for the lesson and doing review, chants, and group activities like discussion. Plus we read a little Roman history each week.

 

But we still do latin at home. I wrote a syllabus for the year, letting everyone know which chapters would be covered which weeks, so those that are doing the whole program can work at home. I give the tests at home to my dd, she studies w/the C.D. and workbook during the week. Some in the class don't and use the class as exposure. Some are actually studying different latin currics at home and use my class as supplementing, and some like my dd are doing the whole program at home. It works for us.

 

If I was to have my dd in SOTW at co-op, I would def. continue work at home throughout the week. We would read library books, see movies, do narrations. Hopefully they would do the hands on activities at the co-op, and that would be awesome. We would just quickly cover the chapters that they didn't at home or skip them. We would also work through the summers to finish the book.

 

 

co-op has been worth it to us for the little things (albeit unnecessary things) that a group can offer, even if they have different educational philosophies than I do. We have made close friends there too.

 

ETA... I forgot to say that I schedule our year with 4 day weeks. I do count co-op as a school day for my records. They are there learning all day, if not the core subjects. We do go beyond the required 180 days because we have to to finish the skills subjects though.

Edited November 9, 2011 by 2_girls_mommy

[Jim]

I posted earlier but failed to mention that we are members of a CC group. There, we have found parents that, like us, stress academics. That's a group we will stick with.

 

We're not against co-ops, we're sensitive to what happens during the time dedicated to them and what does not happen.

[Wildwood]

I agree that you should feel confident that what you will be gaining from the co-op is more valuable than what you will be giving up in return.

 

I am finding that time at home is very valuable when needing to accomplish our priorities at home. Sounds like an obvious statement, but I have found through experience that a lot of the outside stuff/co-op stuff turns out to be a lot of fluff when I had thought it would be enriching for my kids.

 

At one time my daughter participated in a MOH co-op and I felt it was worth the time as she was learning valuable stuff and gaining skills.

As of now we have opportunities available as far as co-op stuff and I am not participating because I don't think the trade-off is worth it.

[MAMommy]

I have to agree with some of the points. Our co-op experienced those parents who didn't want o contribute anything but dropping their kid off, so that those of us who were contributing felt taken advantage of & burnt out. It fell apart last year.

 

I for one am happy about not having to deal with other people & their expectations, however I miss & my kids miss seeing their friends weekly. Without this co-op, everyone has just gone off & done other things so it leaves little to no time for just play & socializing. IMO, this is just as important as the academics. I have to work a lot harder to find those opportunities for my kids now.

[Ellie]

If I do this, I know I can't do all I am doing now.

That would be the determining factor for me. I wouldn't do the co-op.

[Penelope]

That would be the determining factor for me. I wouldn't do the co-op.

 

:iagree:

 

I can see doing it with young children (which it looks like yours are) if you have no other opportunities for social outlets.

 

I haven't felt a co-op will fit our needs, as the ones we have available provide academic classes but not at a level that meets my standards. And by a certain age, it is difficult to give up a whole day for "fluff". When we have done a 4 -day week, I prefer to have the fifth day to go on field trips, hike, or other things that get us out of the house and physically active, rather than stuck in classrooms.

[Mimm]

If you like the people, I would go for it. Our co-op is really small but I love it. School has been kind of rough the past few weeks and co-op has been the best part of our year. The moms are laid back and real, and the kids are well behaved and fun.

[momto2Cs]

This is our first year doing a co-op. It takes way more time than I originally anticipated. My kids love it because they get to be with their friends, but I don't think it's the best academic fit for our family. I don't know if the fun factor and the few things that I can't do at home are worth the time and expense of the co-op. On the other hand, I'm glad that I tried it while my kids are young so that I know what it's like.

 

:iagree: We actually dropped out of our co-op (technically 4H) because it was so time consuming, and I really value that time with my kids. Overall, the activities weren't so outstanding that I can't reproduce them at home. It is definitely a good fit for other families, but not so much for us! We do go to a weekly Park Day, but really that is just for fun and seeing friends!

[Homemama2]

We've been in one for the last year and a half. It is more organized than some that others have mentioned. There are between 50-60 families in it. They have it divided into age/skill groups. It meets once a week in the morning till about 12:30. Each kid has four classes during this time. The classes depend on what parents volunteer to teach, or what parents ask others to teach. All moms (or dads) have to participate either by teaching, helping in a class, nursery, preK, or being a subsitute for when people are sick.

Pros: I LOVE the people in it. They are down to earth and really, really nice. They also offer a moms night once a month so you can get to know each other better. They often get together after co-op at parks etc so the kids can really build friendships with the other kids. The kids get a variety of classes/opportunities that I just might not think of, or take the time for at home. (For example, I am NOT a unit study person and I signed my youngest up for a Five in a Row class which he is loving.)

 

Cons: Like others have mentioned, it does take away from 'our' school one day a week. This is really the thing I like the least. Since our co-op is rather large, you might not get to help where you want (although they try their best to accomodate your choices). I often feel like I spend more time preparing for co-op than our homeschool (when I'm teaching a class). And like others have mentioned, not everyone places the same value on education...so some of the kids never seem to have their supplies for class.

 

While I love our co-op, I am thinking of taking spring semester off because I feel like our time is getting away from us this year, and I want the extra time at home.

[FairyMom]

I really appreciate all of your answers. I've got a lot of thinking to do. The one plus, and only way I would join, is it is not a "drop off." All the moms do something, teach something, help in some way. It's more the thought of committing to give up one day that could be at home.... we'll see. I might just do the drama and history and leave the rest out; that is an option. :)

[regentrude]

Our coop experience was negative.

We homeschool for academic reasons and I would have loved a coop as an opportunity to work on some subjects where I lack expertise, and in turn was offering my professional expertise for the class I taught.

Unfortunately, we were the only family with an academic motivation; the others wanted it as a place to socialize and do some mildly structured activity. The content of the classes was not what my kids needed; I was disappointed by the lack of cooperation and interest in the students in my class.

Never ever again.

[Brooketopia]

I hate co-op. It takes up so much freaking time, and I don't even do everything that my group does! My kids enjoy the extra friends, but it's just such a drain on me as a human being to get everything/everyone together and transported so they can hang out with kids their own age for an hour. All the extra time I put into making up lessons for other people's kids could be used to such a greater advantage for my own children, and I am wiped out after a meeting so the rest of school usually doesn't get done either.

 

There are some women in my groups who LOVE co-op, some who are rather neutral and some who wish they didn't do it. It's up to the individual. I'm going to withdraw after this school year, as we've been hanging on for three years and I've just never "caught the spirit" of it. I did sign up to host a homemaking club this year, so that's why we're sticking with it through the end of the year.

[Farrar]

I find in general this board is pretty anti-co-op. Of course, bad co-op drama is no fun and to be avoided, but I think there are a lot of intangibles to be had from a good co-op that are much harder to define on a pros and cons balance sheet. In a good co-op, kids will learn in a way that, by nature of it being in a group with other adults, you simply cannot teach them at home. There's an unknown factor of what that will even look like. And, if the group of adults is good, then you'll learn from them as well. To me, the skill of being a part of a community is one of the most essential things I want my kids to learn and co-op is one of the places they learn it. I don't automatically prioritize time at home or my instruction over that of the co-op. For us, they're both very different but important pieces of our homeschooling.

[FairyMom]

I find in general this board is pretty anti-co-op. Of course, bad co-op drama is no fun and to be avoided, but I think there are a lot of intangibles to be had from a good co-op that are much harder to define on a pros and cons balance sheet. In a good co-op, kids will learn in a way that, by nature of it being in a group with other adults, you simply cannot teach them at home. There's an unknown factor of what that will even look like. And, if the group of adults is good, then you'll learn from them as well. To me, the skill of being a part of a community is one of the most essential things I want my kids to learn and co-op is one of the places they learn it. I don't automatically prioritize time at home or my instruction over that of the co-op. For us, they're both very different but important pieces of our homeschooling.

 

Thank you. This is first secular co-op I've found in my area that is actually academic. I'm really drawn to them and have thoroughly enjoyed drama. There's actually science and experiments. The writing teacher also teaches British Literature at the local university... sigh... half of the kids are members of our church (UU) ....

 

I think it could be a very important piece, and thank you for a positive side. :)

[Mommyof4ks]

We did a co-op, and we loved it! We only did co-op on that day, because it was hard to get anything else done well. Our week was a 4 day week, and that was hard some weeks, but the classes they had provided so much fun time with their friend's and they learned fun stuff. We did music, PE, and gymnastics throughout the week too, but those were in the afternoon.

 

We do Classical Conversations now, and I could not do both effectively, so we had to drop co-op. I miss it.

[lmrich]

I think a SOTW co-op would be awesome. I led a class last year to coordinate with the third book. The parents were told to read the chapter at home and I would lead the activities. We had a blast. We cooked, we acted out the scenes (Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary) wearing costumes we quickly put together. Sometimes I used the ideas in the AG, but I mostly made them up. I still have my dd's portrait of Sacagewea and her chalk picture of St. Petersburg's architecture. I know there were kids in the class who were not doing the reading at home, but those who were benefited greatly from the activities. It was worth it for me to teach and for my kids to attend. Many parents were grateful because they don't like doing the hands-on stuff at home; I love it.

[Walking-Iris]

We've just started going to co-op this year. Not exactly a great fit for my family (we're not religiously affiliated) but it's the only thing offered within a reasonable distance. Having a son on the spectrum it became really important to get him around other kids. I know there may be some things to think about on my end next year when he will be "expected" to have a creation class--sigh--but I'll cross that bridge when I get there. So far it's been a good experience. I wouldn't exactly say he's learning anything. :001_huh:

 

But it does make for a fun morning for him. And it's only 2xmonth so manageable. I probably wouldn't do an all day co-op because of having a toddler at home.

 

But if you have friends and it's secular and most people go to your UU then it seems like a pretty cool idea. Wish I could go to your co-op :lol:

[FairyMom]

 

But if you have friends and it's secular and most people go to your UU then it seems like a pretty cool idea. Wish I could go to your co-op :lol:

 

Thank you! :)

[Mommy22alyns]

We do a co-op every Monday. That leaves us 4 full days to school at home. I don't rely on the co-op for anything educational; it's just fun for the girls. I can forsee a time when we might have to drop the co-op because we'll need a full five days at home.

[Coffeemama]

I LOVE my co-op. We meet once a week (10-2). All parents participate in some way, it's secular with a mixture of both academic and fun classes. We don't do many other extras during the school day (maybe one museum/zoo trip a month), so I schedule four full days of school work. My kids' other activities like music lessons, sports and scouts are all in the evening, so we didn't feel the need to drop anything.

 

I like that my DC get to see old and new friends on a set day every week. Before the co-op began, I felt like we were taken off our schedule on too many different afternoons to accommodate play dates. Now, we often school right up to 2:30, sometimes 3:30, if we are working on a project.

 

If it's a wonderful group of people, you should try it.:001_smile: