Am I officially Crazy?? --co-op in my house:

[Peek a Boo]

Ok, So I *like* co-ops. We've participated in quite a few w/ pretty good results. There's a good one in the area, but it requires a SoF. That won't work for my secular friends who don't agree w/ it. After setting up a secular yahoogroup for the area, we started exploring the possibilities of starting up a co-op. No churches in the area would let us use their facility w/o charging [what would be for *us* ] too much. One turned us down flat because I linked to Butch's secular homeschool page [not her blog] and I refused to remove it. Other attempts to find a "neutral" location simply haven't proven fruitful --it's not a huge town and we specifically DON't want to have to drive 10 miles to get somewhere.

 

We started doing a small one [4 families] this past semester at my house. We are consolidating an Apologia labs class from elsewhere and adding a couple more classes. I typed a little directory for our co-op:

 

10 families.

30 kids ranging from 17-infant.

From Noon to 3:30 every Thursday.

In my house.

 

When i look at it on paper, it should work fine:

The upstairs bedrooms and bathroom will be for preschool/nursery. Outside when weather permits.

The diningroom and kitchen will be for Ap. Labs [older kids] when weather won't cooperate, after that will be the Blood and Guts class [younger kids -will switch to Creek Science when the weather warms up].

The Livingroom [or garage] will be for Lego Robotics [split into older/younger classes].

All areas will be used to split the public speaking class into a few age-appropriate groups.

We haven't firmly decided which area will be best for the Gvt [older kids]/ Citizenship [younger kids] class. But it's a great group of gals who are masters at flexing, lol.

My bedroom will host a knitting group. no, i don't knit:)

 

 

12 dates scheduled w/ a break for easter.

all classes are scheduled to rotate, and some families won't be staying for the whole co-op, just an hour here or there.

 

It looks *great* on paper, and we had a wonderful meeting yesterday, but dh --who is NOT a people person, lol-- swears that if he isn't already working then he's gonna be GONE, and that I am c-r-a-z-y ha ha. But why? We have a house w/ 2000+ sf, a wooded acre and a half w/ a cool creek, and I have lots of resources right here! Tons of books! craft supplies out the wahzoo! A printer and copier and hi speed internet! A flexible house keeping style...I'm not uptight about what goes on in my house:) maybe I'll give the kids a quarter each to dust stuff, lol.

 

Ask me again in a couple months, lol.

 

....and wish me luck till then! :cool:

[Harriet Vane]

I think it can be done

 

IF

 

--All members of the co-op agree to a 10-minute tidy-up before they leave. Inspect or designate an inspector.

 

--You are assertive (in a friendly way, of course) about treatment of your home and possessions.

 

--You are assertive about starting and ending times.

 

--You have CLEARLY DEFINED rules about who can be where and supervision of kids. DO NOT let the kids run rampant--you will live to regret it. I have found it works best if I have an appointed "enforcer" who is known as the group police guy--someone who is firm but friendly.

 

--Coach your children to hide things that are precious to them before co-op so that they do not get mistreated.

 

--As with any co-op, make sure others agree to help with specific duties. Do not let the group depend on you to make the magic happen, free. It's not healthy for you OR for those taking advantage of your welfare state. (I speak from experience.)

 

I have opened my home similarly, though not for so many weeks. I have also directed large programs many, many years. If you are someone who likes to hostess it can be a good thing WITH certain boundaries firmly in place.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My only question is - since I notice you are using bedrooms for some of the classrooms is: will you have enough comfortable places for people to sit? Sitting on a bed can get old after a few minutes! (Well, at least for adults - maybe not for kids. . .) Just something to think about ahead of time.

[Peek a Boo]

thanks for the checklist strider-- I think we have most of that covered, but I'll forward it to my 'official scheduler' to make sure.

 

jean --yes, we have some chairs for those who want them. The only class that will require much sitting in the bedroom is the knitting class. The preschool supervisors are already directed to be interacting or at least watching very closely the kids, and to spend as much outside time as possible. We've set the bar high for them, and they seem to be in agreement. There is a rocker up there tho :-)

[JennifersLost]

especially since I don't see you as being the "doormat" type, ya know?

 

Being clear about your boundaries is the main thing. I once had the whole group from our center over and it was awful - the kids were totally nuts.

 

But I switched to a different center, handpicked friends from that one and had more than 40 people in my house a bunch of times with no problem. Of course I had 20 people in my house on a daily basis for the daycare, so I was used to it.

 

I'd let dh know that he's welcome to leave - give him no guff about that at all. You'll have way more fun not worrying about him.

[GothicGyrl]

Well firstly, you are not crazy until you've reached MY type of crazy :) then you are certified.

 

Secondly, that burns me up--they flat out refused you service because of Butch's website? That woman has more resources than I have ever seen, she does it because she LIKES doing it and this is what she gets? grrrr

 

Thirdly, No, you are not crazy. Not even close. :)

 

Fourthly, I'll sixthly say "what they said" and agree with everything everyone else said. :)

 

This is like the fallout I am fully expecting to occur over my blog. I gave it to my bowling moms just to check out my art work, and I had to explain to them not to read anything else. Peek, you know that Blog for choice thing I've got on there--that's going to kill me. All because we disagree on that one thing--forget the fact that I coach their kids on learning to bowl...nope--they'll leave because of that and that alone.

 

Gah--have I mentioned that I really do not like people?

[Snickerdoodle]

Are there any liability issues to worry about? I don't know, just asking.

[Needleroozer]

No, I don't think you are crazy, but then again, I want to have art classes and workshops in my dinky studio in my unfinished, cobwebby basement, so my opinion may not be worth much here. :D

[JudoMom]

this proves it.

 

I'm getting hives just thinking about it. I'm so glad everyone in this world isn't like me :D.

 

I did giggle at Strider's great advice to you---the part about being "assertive". I thought "if Peek isn't assertive and clear and a perfect candidate for this kind of madness, I don't know who is!" (er--that's a compliment).

 

Anyway---Good Luck. I'm gonna go dig up some Benadryl ;).

[Chris in VA]

That's so interesting--I frequently fantasize about having a school in our Rectory (wait a minute, there *is* a school in our Rectory! lol). Hope it works well. Make sure there's enough seating--no one wants to sit on a bed.

[Guest Katia]

I'm not commenting on your doing-it-in-the-house idea, because........well. I won't comment. I won't say you are...ssssh..... (whispering) missing a few vital head organs :p

 

But, have you looked into the possibility of using your public library? Many have several "reading" rooms and some have public rooms available for use. Free. You just have to book them.

 

This may not be an option in your area, but we live in a very small, very dinky town, and this is available to us. It's an idea you could check out anyhow.

[Meliss]

Like another poster said, it will probably work for you because you are assertive. I just recommend that you have an exit strategy if it doesn't work in reality... or rather, an exit strategy for other people who are being difficult. :)

 

I have had two other families coming to my house for piano lessons for years. It has worked for a very long time, but the atmosphere soured last summer with one mom when I talked to her about something that she did that bothered me. She had already been hostile to the piano teacher and I got added into that since I talked to her (about something not related to lessons.) I have tried clearing the air with her with little success. If the piano teacher weren't so desperate for income, I would have ended this arrangement. I suspect that this mom is going to quit having her child take lessons after an upcoming competition, but if she doesn't quit, the teacher and I are planning other arrangements for the lessons away from my house. Sad, but some people just don't understand boundaries.

[Ellie]

nt

[Peek a Boo]

katia --we have a one-room library housed in the municipal building. I'm glad we even HAVE a library, but right now *I* have more books than ours does!!

we do not have a community center either. There is a Lions Club, but it doesn't have rooms to meet --just a kitchen and decent sized fellowship hall. Even the rooms at the municipal center aren't really conducive to the set up:

they charge $50 an hour per room, and we'd have to sweat about clean up AND bring in all our resources. I'm looking into petitioning them to waive the fee for school groups, but even then my house still offers a lot of benefits :-)

I've exhausted the churches in our area --they either charge too much, don't have the space, have a preschool/school going on during the day, or have issues w/ it being a secular group. I'm still looking though :-)

 

 

snickerdoodle--I'm not even gonna worry about liability. If anything happens I won't be volunteering that this was a regular weekly get together :D

 

toni-- yeah, butch's site did it in, lol. I agree: her site simply has too many great resources to NOT share it. For a secular yahoogroup, we had quite a huge discussion about theology after that..... I left my one comment about your blog for chioice, but I'm restraining myself from checking back for now cuz I won't be able to keep my mouth shut, lol. I said my bit and backed off --but you already know where I stand :-)

 

jenniferslost --you are absolutely correct! not only am I pretty darn assertive, but this really is a group of handpicked moms and we have all already established the importance of boundaries. At this point it is a "by invitation only" set up.

 

meliss-- yes, we already discussed exit strategy: worst case scenario is classes end immediately and the labs class goes back to its original location at another mom's house :-)

 

good thoughts ladies!!!!

[gardenschooler]

Yes, crazy. And brave! Really, it makes perfect sense as long as you're willing.

 

Now you need a Thursday afternoon activity for your dh to go to! :D

[Peek a Boo]

Thursday afternoon activity for dh....I'm thinking maybe some good long talks w/ the Pastor....;)

 

in all actuality, he may very well end up helping w/ the science/robotics classes and sitting in on the gvt class: we're going to be focussing on the history of the Constitution: how different sections were interpreted in US history.

[frogpond1]

We only have 2 bathrooms so kids had to use the one in my bedroom. About halfway through I began to feel I had no privacy. I had no room I could just shut the door on. I had to clean bathrooms before co-op and after- they were quite a mess. By the end of the year, I dreaded having any children over for playdates- it just became suffocating for me. The school is out of my home this year, and it is wonderful. At Christmas time was when I really realized how hard it had been last year. I was able to decorate and not worry about wear and tear etc. We had to do a lot of set up and a lot of tear down, and my co-op was 2.5 days a week. It had a lot of extra costs- people used my kitchen like their own and there were lots of dishes to do, the floor got a lot of wear and tear, we went through tons of t-p and soap. I wouldn't do it again unless I absolutely had too. I was embarrassed to have other moms cleaning my personal bathrooms, it would have been better to have just paid a house cleaner. At times younger siblings got into trouble- drawing on the dressers etc. I am very careful with my things because I don't have the money to replace them, so I have a hard time with children vaulting around the couches and food eaten throughout the house etc. I had to be the house police and it was quite tiring.