Momof4sweetkids Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 We are part of a very small co-op this year that will no longer be available next year. The only other option for co-op near me is CC, I thought I'd do it but we went to the open house today and it's just not my style at all. We are involved in our church and their Awana and love that. It's a small church and not a ton of young families. I don't feel like my kids (ages 6,4,2 and infant) necessarily need more of a social outlet but I would really like one even just for me to connect with people outside of Sundays. Any ideas? DH thinks I should try to start my own co-op but I feel like people are flaky or sick a lot and the reason CC works is because people are committed and it's large so one missing family isn't a problem. We could do 4H cloverbuds for the oldest, do moms connect there? How have you found connection for you through homeschooling years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 You could start a support group, instead of a co-op, which could provide as much socializing but without all the work that a co-op requires. I never made lasting friendships through 4H or any other activity that my dc were involved in. I enjoyed it while it wsa happening, but it didn't go home with me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 What are the other people in your current co-op doing? Maybe form a support group with one or two of them. Also I've found traditional school kids just don't have a lot of time outside of school stuff and activities to just make connection. I'm with Ellie a lot of those I hang out with the parents while we wait for the hour activity to end but once it ends so does our relationship. The person I have a real connection with we make a point to be each other support and we hang out outside of activity. The activity is just where we met. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 I googled homeschool groups in my area. Lots of options popped up. Joined one and there were other families with same aged kids who contacted me to see if I wanted to hang out at a park. I also started a book club that met once a month. At least we tried to meet once a month. I used kits from litwits. Hope you find something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 I’d find a book club or pursue friendships through a hobby. Something you enjoy. Can your Dh keep the kids or you get a sitter so that you can have an afternoon or early evening by yourself every so often? At your kids’ ages, I’d not be coordinating anything new! Save that for later. Do you have weekly storytime at the library? That was fun when mine were little. Preschool park days? Field trips to the zoo? If your church doesn’t have many young families or homeschoolers, is there one that does? I have a friend who came to my church’s women’s Bible study for years bc she needed more adult connection with moms at her stage in life. Do you have any way to connect with neighbors? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof4sweetkids Posted March 11 Author Share Posted March 11 I have the same experience with events/groups where once it ends, I'm not great at staying connected. The closest friend in the co-op is starting a micro school so won't be available much. I have considered going back to Bible Study Fellowship. It's kids classes are really solid and it'd give me an outlet, though I never have made friends there that last outside of the group setting. I like the support group or book club idea so I could go without the kids. I have felt discouraged about trying to do park playdates because inevitably my kids or the other family are sick. I know a lot of other moms, everyone is just so busy and we get sick a ton. Maybe I just need to pursue the relationships I have better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraClark Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 (edited) We started a once a week park playdate at a park just by posting on our local homeschool Facebook page. We had weeks where a lot of people showed up and some where it was only us. Edited March 11 by LauraClark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiddleCourt Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Can you start a nature group? Even if you could just find two or three other families to do it with, it’s worthwhile. We were in one when my kids were younger and we’d go two or three Fridays a month on a hike or even just to a park. It requires very little planning and you don’t have the headache of finding a place to rent, teaching the class, etc. that you do in a co-op. And it’s fun! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria327 Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 What about trying to start a homeschooling moms' discussion group? I'm part of one that meets one evening per month, and we leave our kids home with the dads (except babies). We spend some time discussing a particular topic related to homeschooling and then just talk about whatever. We have about 4-8 moms there each month. It's not a big time commitment, but it's nice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneGG Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 I did not connect with other moms at CC. In our small community, the moms were cliquish and already knew one another. It’s hard to make friends with a group that’s been together for years. Just a heads up, because I didn’t really think about that prior to joining. Same for the kids. It’s even somewhat doubled down amongst big sibling groups in the community. Also, the open houses are somewhat staged in terms of how nice and friendly everyone is. They want your money; especially if you’ve got several kids. I don’t have in person homeschool friends. Its fine! I use this homeschool forum (and a few others) and that satisfies my need for homeschool banter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof4sweetkids Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 5 hours ago, AnneGG said: I did not connect with other moms at CC. In our small community, the moms were cliquish and already knew one another. It’s hard to make friends with a group that’s been together for years. Just a heads up, because I didn’t really think about that prior to joining. Same for the kids. It’s even somewhat doubled down amongst big sibling groups in the community. Also, the open houses are somewhat staged in terms of how nice and friendly everyone is. They want your money; especially if you’ve got several kids. I don’t have in person homeschool friends. Its fine! I use this homeschool forum (and a few others) and that satisfies my need for homeschool banter. Ya I don't think I need homeschool friends, just other mom friends. I could totally see the clique thing happening with CC, though I think it happens in every kind of group. I'm starting to lean towards Bible Study Fellowship, I wouldn't have to plan anything, it's free and the kids like it. Maybe I'll throw out some "we are heading to such and such park this afternoon" to random friends so there's less stress about planning and cancelling due to sickness. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seemesew Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Why don't you start a park group? Where you meet at the park kids play and moms chat! Its super simple and low key, we did one for years and really loved it! Your kids are young so the other thing I'd do is just invite a couple other moms over with their kids and let them play while you chat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 21 minutes ago, seemesew said: Why don't you start a park group? Where you meet at the park kids play and moms chat! Its super simple and low key, we did one for years and really loved it! Your kids are young so the other thing I'd do is just invite a couple other moms over with their kids and let them play while you chat. This is good advice but also having a moms-only dedicated group to share about homeschooling can be great. Think of it as professional development and continuing ed. I loved Park days but it's a lot of multi tasking to interact with kiddos and have anything like a serious conversation with moms. I only had a mom's group for a year but it was super helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof4sweetkids Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 2 hours ago, Eos said: This is good advice but also having a moms-only dedicated group to share about homeschooling can be great. Think of it as professional development and continuing ed. I loved Park days but it's a lot of multi tasking to interact with kiddos and have anything like a serious conversation with moms. I only had a mom's group for a year but it was super helpful. Ya I think with the ages of my kids, I spend time at the park spotting them instead of getting to chat. But they get good friend time in so it's worthwhile. I also haven't figured out how to get them to tolerate wet/cold weather. We live in PNW so it's wet and cold Oct-Mar usually 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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