does anyone not do co-op's?

[CalicoKat]

We've been part of a co-op on/off for the past few years. Usually we drop out in Jan-March because rotating sick kids.

 

Truthfully I don't think there's much academic learning going on for my kids. They're in it for the social aspect. They do enjoy and look forward to the afternoon PE time and Sack Lunch time.

 

We're year round schoolers and our least productive time of the year is always September to December, when we're active in Co-op. :tongue_smilie: Even with sick kids in the early part of the year we're able to make more progress.

 

Co-op was also an easy answer case workers socialization questions about socialization. But now that our near future looks like we won't be getting these visits I'm thinking of having us drop out of Co-Op.

 

Is that bad? I personally hate co-op chasing over-tired babies and encouraging my 5 yo who hates it to try and participate in the activities. 3 of the 5 don't benefit. 2 of the 5 may a teeny little bit.

 

WWYD?

[Cheryl in NM]

We don't. We've only belonged to 1 co-op. I found that ds did learn things, but socializing did get in the way of the learning. There were also some horribly disruptive children and no one could say anything to them or we'd lose our Science teacher. KWIM? I found the politics of a co-op to be worse than public school with the distractions greater than ps also. No thank you. I know they work for some people, but I haven't one that works for us.

 

Just teach your kids yourself and provide outside sources of socialization. Take advantage of any classes that meet your criteria.

[Plucky]

I don't. We're already too busy here. If it doesn't fit in your life drop it. Fill your free time with more enjoyable activities. You can always go back if you miss it. :)

[Rich with Kids]

Nope. No time. I have enough to teach. We did on our first year, but it stressed me out more than anything due to yet another thing to teach.

[Elm in NJ]

We don't. We have been homeschooling for 6 years and have never been part of any group. My kids do cub scouts, soccer, swimming and art and music classes and various other things but we have never done the c0-op thing.

 

When my kids were younger, I wanted to do it but I wanted a secular group and couldn't find any. Now, that they are older, we have so much school work, I don't know where I'll find the time.

 

Our library is going to start a homeschool program once a month for ages 5-12starting this month. The kids want to go, so we will make time and do that.

[CalicoKat]

We don't. We've only belonged to 1 co-op. I found that ds did learn things, but socializing did get in the way of the learning. There were also some horribly disruptive children and no one could say anything to them or we'd lose our Science teacher. KWIM? I found the politics of a co-op to be worse than public school with the distractions greater than ps also. No thank you. I know they work for some people, but I haven't one that works for us.

 

Just teach your kids yourself and provide outside sources of socialization. Take advantage of any classes that meet your criteria.

politics certainly have become an issue this year. new leadership. My kids get spastic if I keep a really tight rein on them so I don't, but there are moms who act like should--they frown at me a lot. My kids aren't bad, they do follow directions and aren't disruptive. They just would rather not hang out with me--usually on the other side of the room.

[Carrie12345]

I guess it depends on how you define "co-op."

 

Our homeschool group does meet once a month, with parents taking turns coming up with and directing a lesson or project of some sort. We love it.

 

A co-op dedicated to one topic or subject for the entire school year doesn't interest me at all.

[tibbyl]

We've been part of a co-op on/off for the past few years. Usually we drop out in Jan-March because rotating sick kids.

 

Truthfully I don't think there's much academic learning going on for my kids. They're in it for the social aspect. They do enjoy and look forward to the afternoon PE time and Sack Lunch time.

 

We're year round schoolers and our least productive time of the year is always September to December, when we're active in Co-op. :tongue_smilie: Even with sick kids in the early part of the year we're able to make more progress.

 

Co-op was also an easy answer case workers socialization questions about socialization. But now that our near future looks like we won't be getting these visits I'm thinking of having us drop out of Co-Op.

 

Is that bad? I personally hate co-op chasing over-tired babies and encouraging my 5 yo who hates it to try and participate in the activities. 3 of the 5 don't benefit. 2 of the 5 may a teeny little bit.

 

WWYD?

 

I do not find it at all bad. For us, it was much easier to just pick up and go to park or zoo on our schedule, not a group's schedule. As the kids grew older and workload increased, I found that it worked better not to interrupt the day by going to a socializing or academic co-op.

[3lilreds in NC]

We've done an intense co-op, and it was very stressful. I had a hard time with it, but the girls loved it.

 

Last year, we did nothing, because we had the Snort as a newborn and I wasn't willing to expose him to the germs.

 

This year, we found a lovely Charlotte Mason co-op that meets 2x per month. It's been just perfect. The kids get a short lesson, a snack, and time to play. It's in the afternoon, which works out well for us, because although the baby misses a nap, we get most of our school done in the morning.

 

It's absolutely for social reasons. They do learn things, but it's entirely so that we can hang out with some other homeschoolers occasionally. We have plenty of other activities, but we all enjoy this one. It's really the only time I get out of the house because dh takes the girls to all their stuff, so I don't have to take the baby.

 

If it wasn't benefiting anyone and I didn't like it, though, I would drop out. We survived last year without one, and no one died. :D

[Jenny in Florida]

We have belonged to a couple of support/social groups over the years, which sometimes did academic stuff together. One of our favorite things was the science classes at a local nature preserve. But these were just things we signed up to do with some outside agency, not classes we taught in a co-op model.

 

We officially gave up on homeschool groups about three years ago, after the last one collapsed because the parents couldn't get along. When we added up what the kids got out of the groups and weighed it against the hassle and the time it took away from doing other, more worthwhile things, we decided to walk away.

 

Instead, we do classes and activities with established community groups and institutions, which we've found are both more meaningful and more stable. Over the years, my kids have done lots of community theatre, taken drama lessons with two of the local professional theatres, sung with choirs, participated in a model rocketry club, attended lectures with local anthropology and archaeology societies, taken classes at the science museum, taken dance classes, etc. These activities provide plenty of social opportunities and experiences that are worth the time and effort we put into attending them.

[CalicoKat]

We've done an intense co-op, and it was very stressful. I had a hard time with it, but the girls loved it.

 

Last year, we did nothing, because we had the Snort as a newborn and I wasn't willing to expose him to the germs.

 

This year, we found a lovely Charlotte Mason co-op that meets 2x per month. It's been just perfect. The kids get a short lesson, a snack, and time to play. It's in the afternoon, which works out well for us, because although the baby misses a nap, we get most of our school done in the morning.

 

It's absolutely for social reasons. They do learn things, but it's entirely so that we can hang out with some other homeschoolers occasionally. We have plenty of other activities, but we all enjoy this one. It's really the only time I get out of the house because dh takes the girls to all their stuff, so I don't have to take the baby.

 

If it wasn't benefiting anyone and I didn't like it, though, I would drop out. We survived last year without one, and no one died. :D

where did you find this type of co-op?

[lovemyboys]

our least productive time of the year is always September to December, when we're active in Co-op. :tongue_smilie:

 

encouraging my 5 yo who hates it to try and participate in the activities. 3 of the 5 don't benefit. 2 of the 5 may a teeny little bit.

 

WWYD?

 

Seriously, there doesn't sound like much benefit for any of you to add the stress of co-op to your schedule.

 

I'm finding that I'm being a lot more selective as the workload increases and ds start having opinions about activities and friendships.

 

In an ideal world, I would gather our 3 favorite homeschool families together and do mutually beneficial projects with them -- science or history or service/charity. But things don't always work as we wish, differing schedules, travelling distance....::(:

 

So, we choose carefully from what's available. We've recently found a group that fits for all of us quite nicely, interesting learning and social environment for dc, good conversation and involvement for me.

 

For now, I'd drop the co-op and see if that one or something new fits better in a year or two. With little people, sometimes the consistency of their own home and schedule works best.

[Kris]

We don't, but it's just because I'm not comfortable with a lot of people. The Kid would probably love it. As a matter of fact, I was just invited to join one yesterday. This lady seems very nice, but she's invited us to a lot of things -- mostly church stuff -- and I'm just not a "joiner."

 

*sigh* We've been invited to someone's house for Thanksgiving, too. Of course, The Kid is thrilled -- Sweetie and I would rather spend the day on the sofa in our jammies. :D

[WTMCassandra]

No, I've never done a full-blown co-op. I keep looking at what I want to accomplish and can't imagine how I would do it in four days per week. The classes offered aren't "core," and although my children would LOVE it because of the socialization, that's about all we would really be accomplishing. I vacillate every year and end up not signing up.

[mazakaal]

We don't have co-ops here. There is a homeschool group that meets every Wednesday, but it's so far that I've only ever gone rarely. Now dd has ballet on Wednesday so I'm off the hook. The group has monthly workshops that I've been trying to get to this year.

 

My ideal situation would be, I've mentioned here before, a place where I could drop the dc off for a whole school day (9am-3pm) so I could have a day for errands and they could learn art, music, pe. If anyone has one of these near them, let me know. I'll try to convice dh that we should move there. ;)

 

For your situation, I think you just need to weigh pros and cons. How many hours a week is it? Is it worth the trouble just for the social aspect? Can you bring only the 2 dc that benefit? Honestly, co-ops are not an essential element of homeschooling. If your kids are not getting a lot out of it, you can drop it. The homeschool police will not come after you.

[Parrothead]

We don't belong to a co-op or a group. There isn't' one available in our area. Otherwise I think I'd try it.

[Veritaserum]

We tried a co-op for about 6 weeks. It was fun for the kids, but it made life pretty stressful for me. Now we do a weekly homeschool group. In the summer we mostly have park days. In the cold weather we do more field trips and group learning activities as well as mom enrichment type things (while the kids play).

[kat19]

We have never belonged to a co~op.

There was one last year for Science, and I'm glad I didn't do it because it sounded like it was a mess anyway.

[Tess in the Burbs]

I look every year at the classes but so far nothing has moved me enough to join one. if there is a class for one kid there's nothing for the other child. And this year has pretty much cemeted the fact we won't in the near future...we are doing 4 days of school each week and the 5th day is full or errands/playdates. If we added coop then we would be short in our school plans or never have errand/play day!

 

it's not a priority for us right now. maybe in the older years...

[mcconnellboys]

I don't participate in coop anymore, for many reasons. I do think that most tend to be time wasters which may provide some good socialization, but there can also be problems over time. Sometimes you'll hit a good class, but most you could do better yourself, at home.

 

Last year, I started doing stand alone classes with just a few others. I think these have been much more beneficial. We got a real artist to work on art with them; we have gotten native speakers to do Spanish with them.

 

For outside reinforcement of classes we do at home, in a social setting, I prefer field trips over coop. We try to do a field trip each week and I schedule most of those in order to insure that I have the topic I want, when I want it.

[Harriet Vane]

We've had a variety of co-op experiences.

 

I used to direct a kid's club that included learning one topic per semester and reporting on it once a month. There were also service projects and field trips. It was a good co-op, and good for the kids. Handling it as a club worked well. Also since I was in charge I set the tone--in the friendliest way possible I encouraged everyone to do the work, research the topics, enjoy their projects. Because we had a high percentage of students participating as expected, it was a good experience on the whole.

 

We are presently involved in two co-ops. For one, just one of my kids uses just one of the available classes, because I can teach the others that are offered myself. On the whole it is academically good quality, it is free, and it is a subject I cannot teach (without significant work on my part--it's Latin). While I sometimes have struggled with some minor disorganization with this group, on the whole this co-op has been good for us, primarily because the focus is both classical and academic. It is not for enrichment.

 

The other co-op has been a good experience on the whole, though I am starting to see less of a return on our investment. It's an enrichment co-op. I have really LOVED the art classes offered--the directors have had amazing luck finding phenomenal artists to come teach. I like the art classes because real techniques (sculpting, painting, whatever) are taught by real professionals. I also like the gym class for my kids. The science class is almost totally experiments, so this has freed me from having to do that at home (thank God!). (We do study science at home--the experiments at co-op just round out the experience.) The other two classes offered rotate--sometimes I buy them, sometimes I don't. What makes this co-op work well is the directors' wonderful organization and commitment to real learning (as opposed to socialization as the goal). What makes this co-op difficult at times is the refusal of a large segment of parents to require their children to do the homework--the result is that some kids who are well-prepared for class have to listen in boredom while the teacher tries to bring those that are unprepared up to speed. The official policy of the co-op is that classes move on with the material whether or not kids have completed the homework, but it does still affect the class. This bothers me a great deal, and may end up being the deal breaker particularly for dd, whose workload as a middle schooler is picking up.

 

All that to say--life is too short for expensive, time-consuming socialization. If you are seeing academic benefit, then okay. If not, and it's just taking a lot of energy with minimal return, then stop the insanity.

Edited November 4, 2008 by strider

[Tracey in TX]

Don't have the need for a co-op. If we continue to homeschool, then DCs will need additional academic support. Until then I'd rather not deal with one more unnecessary activity.

[joannqn]

We've never been part of an academic co-op. At first, it was because I had a preschooler in the public school system half day. I couldn't meet the parent participation requirements and still get to the school in time to pick up my son.

 

I also don't want to enroll my kids in a class that they'd only get once a week and then go home and learn something different in the same subject four times a week. Does that make sense? It would be like doing medieval history in co-op once a week but studying ancient history at home. It didn't mesh. Of course, I could always try to make our home studies fit with co-op studies but that just sounds too difficult.

 

Then there's the cost. The major co-ops in our area are pretty pricey.

 

Instead I watch various homeschool groups for opportunities to do things together. We'll jump at the chance to do park days or field trips.

[melmac]

We don't because there are none available in the area. Otherwise, my answer might be different.

[Peela]

We have been for 3 years and we just quit. The kids have other social avenues and so do I. We weren't there for the academics- we were there for the social, I was clear about that, although the drama was good for them and the team sport was also good. But enough is enough and it has felt good to let go. I feel something fresh and new will come in to take its place, when it's time.

[Lizzie in Ma]

I hated it. I wanted academics and it was a big play group. It also disrupted our schedule and we really do better on a schedule. :)

If there were a strong academic co-op around here, I would consider joining again for my middle schooler but we don't need play dates.

[Mom0012]

We participated in a coop one year where I had to teach in order for my son to participate. It was a lot of work and a lot of stress for me. My son enjoyed it for the first half of the year but then, thankfully, grew tired of it. This helped me feel okay about not participating the next year.

 

While we were doing the coop, I felt like I was really exposing my son to a lot of the same things that he would be exposed to in school and they weren't things I wanted him exposed to. At the end of the year, I helped out with one of the older classes and was so struck with how disrespectful the kids were and how much they were influenced by each other that I decided at that point that we wouldn't be participating in this type of coop in the future.

 

My whole desire to do the coop was based on meeting my childrens' social needs and this coop really was an "academic" coop. I have found that their social needs are much better met by just working on individual friendships and nurturing them. This year, I also have a couple of friends over and we do Atelier Art together twice a month and that has been fun. I have a lego education kit and I'd like to have one of my son's friends over to work on that with him.

 

Other than that, I don't foresee myself considering a formal coop again until high school, if ever.

 

Lisa

[JFSinIL]

Not here - can't sign the statement of faith so can't join even if I wanted to.

[Cathy in IL]

I do not participate in a co-op. I can see how it easily answers a caseworkers socialization concerns. I have always just let hem know the children have regular playdates, Children's church, Awana, and park district classes. I have never had a caseworker who want' at least open about our homeschooling. Most have actually been quite positive about it.

[3lilreds in NC]

where did you find this type of co-op?

 

I found out about it through some friends. There is a CM email loop here, and a mother's meeting once a month - they are currently discussing Penny Gardner's CM study guide book. They have a small co-op, which is WONDERFUL. Do you have any kind of a CM group in your area?

 

If I hadn't come across this one, I probably would have gone back to the one we attended first, which meets every week. I would have been in the nursery with the Snort for my "teaching" commitment, which would have been OK with me. The kids do have plenty of activities, but they aren't really involved with the other kids - ballet, gymnastics, horses. I like that they get to play with other kids on the playground where we meet, and the occasional field trips.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

No co-op here, never have.

[1bassoon]

I have pretty strong feelings about this. . . . .

 

Where we used to live, I was part of a group that founded "Friday School" - every Friday morning, we met and did extracurricular activities. In a former life, I was an elementary school music teacher, and really enjoyed sharing my gifts that way.

 

As the years went by, I became concerned about both issues in the group, and the toll it took on my own teaching/life. We had a group of moms who were more academically oriented, and a group that were there primarily for social reasons. Once the older kids got into jr. high, that was very, very difficult to navigate. I also discovered that once you put kids into peer groups, you encounter some of the same situations that exist in schools - that we were trying to avoid in the first place!

 

It also stressed me out (of course, that was when I was having babies every 2 years! ;)) and Fridays were totally shot as far as academics. I just couldn't come home and get anything productive done - once my eldest was in the 6th grade, that was an issue.

 

BUT - it was a lifeliine for my very socially oriented (now) 8yo. And there were some days I was very, very thankful for it. I think, in my naivete, I didn't imagine how relieved I'd feel when I left it 6 years later. . . . .

 

Here in AL, we had the chance for our eldest to be involved in a two-day a week co-op that covered all academics. But, truthfully, we made the decision to handle the academic at home, and enjoy the fruits of the relationship and having our children together, learning and growing together.

 

I have more strong thoughts, but I'll sign off now and go make breakfast!

 

Just my perspective!

[Ellie]

We hsed long ago before co-ops were "invented," and we did just fine. I know that one year I did a couple of regular activities that were scheduled in the morning, and I hated it. Sucked the life right out of my whole day. So I think that I can safely say that if we were hsing again, no, we would not do co-ops.

 

Now, I can see that it would be useful for older dc who are doing lab sciences or advanced math or foreign language, but I would have to think long and hard about doing one in the day. My younger dd did a biology class with several other teens--not a co-op, but a class with a teacher. It met in the evening, and it was an excellent class.

 

There's nothing my younger dc *need* to know that I cannot teach them. I want to be *home* with them; that's why it's called *home*schooling :-)

[Renee in NC]

I hated it. I wanted academics and it was a big play group. It also disrupted our schedule and we really do better on a schedule. :)

If there were a strong academic co-op around here, I would consider joining again for my middle schooler but we don't need play dates.

 

Same here. It was silly. One of the mothers was absolutely TOXIC and everyone just overlooked it because she was the sister of the group leader. We went one session (8 weeks) and never returned.

[Titus.Two.Five]

We tried a co-op just this fall. We won't do that again.

 

Too stressful, and we can find 'socialization' in other less stressful, crowded, and chaotic places. :001_smile: My 2 older children, of course loved it, however the youngers had a difficult time of sitting so much including the drive time, etc....not worth it here.

[kewb]

We have not participated in a co-op. I am pretty sure my kids would love a weekly co-op but I have not found one that fits with our life.

[Jennifer3141]

We take Spanish through a co-op class. It's going pretty well. It's 45 minutes out of a week. We're making neat flash cards from it at least. :)

 

Friday, we're starting a science class for everyone. This is through a mostly secular group so religion shouldn't come into play and everyone's looking forward to working together to find neat stuff to do once or twice a month. We're lucky in that we've got access to a college classroom.

 

But that's about all I'd probably do in a co-op. I count everything else as social/play time.

 

Jen

[Alenee]

We used to belong to a co-op but they switched the day and it didn't work out for us. I also wasn't pleased with the choices in classes. I would love a really good science class but until it's available for the age group I need, we'll probably stay out. I don't particularly enjoy my schedule when we're involved either.

 

I think you ought to do what works and if it's not working, take a break!

[Donna]

I grew to dread going as it "wasted" a day that could have been spent on school. I didn't feel the kids got anything out of it educationally so we stopped when re-enrollment time came.

[dragons in the flower bed]

There were also some horribly disruptive children

 

I wouldn't do a co-op because I have those horribly disruptive children. They save their most obnoxious ideas to implement right in the middle of a lesson plan carefully developed by women with whom I would like to remain friends.

[CalicoKat]

I wouldn't do a co-op because I have those horribly disruptive children. They save their most obnoxious ideas to implement right in the middle of a lesson plan carefully developed by women with whom I would like to remain friends.

:lol: because I can soo totaly relate!

 

It's always that way isn't it. I'd just like to say that my children's behavior isn't a reflection of my parenting. But then I'd look pathetic. You're right, friendships are better preserved.

 

:grouphug: because it get's lonely.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I'd just like to say that my children's behavior isn't a reflection of my parenting.

 

I'd just like to have that printed up on eight T-shirts, one for each day of the week and a spare.

[susie in tx]

I always look at the co-ops and decide that they are too expensive and/or that they don't have the stuff I would like my children to do. I don't want academics. I would like extra curricular activities that I am unable to provide at home.

 

So, now we do PE once a week. I suppose it's a co-op, and I've managed to find myself helping to lead the stupid thing. But, I do enjoy it. My kids love it. I anticipate having a different experience with a baby now, but I'm hopeful that it will all work out.

 

If we hated it, or it wasn't meeting our needs, we wouldn't do it. I have to work my regular schooling around the PE class and that gets to be a royal pitb.

 

And for some reason, my children seem to behave during the PE class. I have no clue why.

[TravelingChris]

Welll we always try to do something regular with homeschoolers. My older two are introverts and needed more interaction with other children and my youngest is a extrovert who needs interaction for her emotiional needs. It has varied depending where we lived and what ages my children were. At two different stages, it was weekly or biweekly PE classes. When we lived in Belgium, it was group lessons in Fench and group art lessons. One time, it was a co-op where we had parents take turns with presentations about different countries and projects to go along with that. The last year and a half, my youngest has been in a very organized half day a week program where all parents either teach or help. I have helped. She has done things like karate, Florida history, knitting, and Nature Study. Yes, it does make it harder to do a five day week. We don't. We do a four day week and do it for more weeks. It is okay with me and I feel it is necessary for them since we are always moving. (We are an active duty military family). It helps them belong quicker. I haven't had any bad experiences at co-ops or classes.

[Amy in NH]

Nope. We don't do co-op here. I'm really not interested in joining one. I have my own academic agenda, and whatever offerings a co-op might have probably don't fit into it. And chasing after their offerings would take time away from completing our own agenda. For the most part, I only do field trips that fit into our academics as well. There are so many offerings out there, I could do them all but never get our schoolwork done. We'd end up with a disjointed mess of shallow pseudo-learning, which doesn't fit into our nice orderly classical method.

 

We do plenty of other outside activities, but we do our academics here at home. The kids do karate 2x/wk, soccer in the fall, 4-H just about every week - all in the evenings. The only thing we do during the day is ski club, which is one day per week for 4-6 weeks in the winter. And we school year round because I think it's a better model, and because of a custody/visitation situation.

[CalicoKat]

I'd just like to have that printed up on eight T-shirts, one for each day of the week and a spare.

:lol:

[Alyce]

1) They weren't around when I first started homeschooling. We did have a support group and we belonged to it for a couple of years when my kids were young. I quit that after a couple of years because I found we were only using it for PE and my kids were finding better avenues to socialize.

2) I checked into doing one when my support group first started doing them. They only do them one day a week. If we did the ones my kids were interested in we would have been there about 4 hours with 1 hour travel time and they weren't even academic courses. It just wasn't worth it to me. Took away too much of my school time.

3) I pulled my kids out of public school because I didn't like the socialization aspect of it. I found that the same dynamics that caused me to pull my children were going on at the co-op.

4) Once my kids got into middle and high school they had other and what I consider better ways to get their socialization. They became involved with the church youth group, took Ballet and Karate for PE. These just seemed to work out better than the co-op and didn't interfere with school time.