Michelle My Bell Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 There may be a possibility for all my kids to attend a co-op. I don't know a lot about it yet but I'll only consider it if it is good quality. My only problem is the distance. So how far away would you travel in minutes? POLL coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 For us it's a bit tricky - we use city bus to get around. So trips of an hour or more are normal for us. Our rule is more than 4 buses or walking more than a half mile to get there makes it too far for us. Also if it takes over 2 hours each way it's too far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 It would have to be really good, but I'd travel up to an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 We live in the city, miles from homeschool offerings at museums. We used to drive 30 minutes one way for a co-op and people at that co-op would drive over an hour. But honestly, 1 hour on the road felt too long for us. But we're weird that way. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I have traveled an hour and more with traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 We travel about 40 minutes one way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 We live very rurally. The nearest co-ops are an hour and a half away one way. We considered and prayed about joining but just couldn't. That is a 3 hour drive both ways. I said between 30-40 mins but that would be for 1 way. I chose that because of everything else I would still have to make happen that day (not school but other responsibilities) You also have to weigh how much time they would be in the co-op along with your drive time there and back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotAVampireLvr Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 My HS group is in another state and I actually attend in a different region of the state that what is closest to me because I already have friends/connections in that area. I drive 45 minutes to church... no reason why I wouldn't for a coop opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I voted "30-40 minutes" because that is what we currently have to drive. Although, that is how long it takes us to get there. Returning home in rush hour traffic takes us over an hour. It's a major hassle, especially with the baby, but we do what we have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I hate to drive. I don't go anywhere more than 10 minutes from my house on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccm Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I voted 50-60 minutes. We travel 35 minutes on the highway, but I would spend more time on the road if necessary to be a part of our awesome co-op. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 And are currently with our furthest ever, which is 35 minutes away. It has been great for everyone, so it has been worth it. I teach, and mine are getting good classes. Next year I'll be teaching there and only one kid will be involved, so we'll be reassessing after that. We are NOT morning people and it is tough getting up and hauling out. And gas is going up and up, and it pays the least of my teaching gigs. Frankly if my one remaining kid isn't committed the year after that, we're bailing and will finish up middle school and high school with online and at-home classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I would not travel more than an hour for a weekly commitment, but we do go to camps during the summer in other cities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I voted 40-50 because the most we've driven was 45 mins. It was once a week for a year, and it was exhausting. We only met in the morning and left after lunch but we got nothing else done the rest of the day. The next year the co-op moved to a closer location and it was only a 30 min drive. We haven't participated in a co-op in a few years, but my sons attend a school that is 30 mins away. We also looked at one 45 mins away but the longer drive was a negative factor for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I'm doing a co-op that I started; it's about 25-30 minutes away, and I have to get there early because I open up. I'd drive up to just about an hour, since I wouldn't be putting together another co-op. I know that the extra I drive would be less than me putting something together :) We can do math and memory work in the car, so it's not really wasted time. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Depends a bit on the route, I think. Is it filled with traffic? Is it near other things? In a direction you have to go anyway? I get more annoyed, I'll admit, by having to go somewhere I never go. Which sounds strange, but we live in the middle of a city. There's something in every direction. I think my brain gets overload if I have to sort out too many suburbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I drive about 15 minutes for ours, but it's more a social/fun thing than an educational one. I drive about 25 minutes each way for a really good (paid) lab science class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I currently travel about 40 miles (45 minutes) each week for our co-op, though there are several others much closer, because it is higher quality. That's probably my upper limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiobrain Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 The thing is, I would not even go to a co-op unless it was really good. It doesn't matter if it was on my street. Co-ops are a pain, IMHO. There are 2 "homeschool school" sorts of things here (where they have paid teachers, not parents, and where you don't have to be involved if you don't want) and they both have enough problems for me to not join either.... cost/distance/atmosphere/class selection all go into my decision. Therefore, I couldn't vote. If it were a perfect co-op, I might drive an hour. I doubt it though. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I knew there was a co-op twenty minutes from me, but I didn't even look into it until they relocated about 5 miles from my house. Now that I know more about it, I would consider driving 30 minutes to get there, but that's my limit for a weekly activity. I grew up in the country, so I KNOW how spoiled that sounds, but the city does make these things sooooo easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Our co-op is a 45 minute drive each way. It takes up an entire afternoon each week. It's a commitment and requires extra work for us the rest of the week but we all agree that it's worth the effort. We use our travel times for lessons we can do on the road and audio books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I didn't vote because there are more variables involved in my deciding whether to do it than just my time. I might be willing to drive up to an hour IF it was a really good co-op and IF we didn't have other commitments on other days. I don't like to be away from home every day, or even on most days. Being out of the house for a few hours a couple of afternoons or evenings a week for something that is truly worthwhile will work for us, but not more than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 0 - We have our own educational agenda, so we don't do co-ops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Well, we do travel a bit. It takes us 25-30 minutes to get to our co-op every Thursday. I voted the 30-40 but that would probably be my limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny_P Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I used to travel about 40 minutes for an excellent co-op. The class I taught was in the middle of the day, and I was stuck in an unfamiliar part of town most of the day schlepping the baby around. It was too much and I quit at winter break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathymuggle Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I travelled 50 minutes last year for a drama class and it was a real slog. My kids would really, really have to want it for me to commit to anything beyond a half hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.