What if there are no homeschool support groups in your area? Or you’ve tried a few out and just don’t feel like you fit well with that group’s vibe? Does this mean that you are consigned to spending all your days with only your own children? Don’t despair! You can start your own group. This may sound daunting, but it actually can fall into place quite easily. So, how do you start a homeschool support group? These ideas will get you going:
- Connect with another family or two to begin regular get togethers and invite others to join you.
- Put yourself out there and introduce yourself to the other moms you see at daily Mass with their children (Hint: if they are there in the middle of the week in the morning, they almost certainly are Catholic homeschoolers!)
- Choose meeting spots that are convenient for families. This could be a local park or playground, after daily Mass at the church, in a reserved room in your local library, or at each other’s homes.
- Talk with other homeschool moms you meet at the library, on your kids’ sport teams, or at other extracurricular activities. Find out about local arts, sports, or cultural class opportunities, and learn of any parish groups for homeschoolers. Put some feelers out to see if these moms would be interested in a small support group.
- Decide how often you’d like to meet. Homeschool support groups often choose to meet weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
- Once you get a few families meeting regularly, advertise your Catholic homeschool group by posting your information at your local library, putting a notice in your church bulletin, or simply through word of mouth.
- Use social media to connect with other Catholic homeschooling families near you. Look for online forums or social media groups. You can even start a website or group forum so that people can find you through searches.
- As your group grows, you can add other activities for members. Popular meeting ideas include bringing in a guest speaker, family potlucks, field trips, curriculum fair and show-and-tell, used book sales, teen nights, guest speakers, and moms nights out.
- Decide on the best way to communicate. This can be through a Facebook group, email chains, forums such as Groups.io, or other group communication apps.
Once you’re ready to make things a bit more formal, have a couple of organization meetings. Here, you’ll want to agree on the purpose of the group. This can include social activities, field trip opportunities, co-op classes, or support meetings based on different educational models like Charlotte Mason homeschooling or unschooling. You should also develop guidelines for your group. For a Catholic homeschool group, this should include a commitment to faithfulness to the teaching of the Church. You may also want to restrict membership to a certain geographic area or to a single parish.
A larger group will need to work of volunteer moderators or coordinators to ensure harmony for the long-term. Let’s face it, we’re all humans (and with fallen natures at that!). Personalities and temperaments can get in the way of good communication. Different goals or sensibilities can cause some cracks in your harmonious homeschool group. Having a few people “in charge” can go a long way towards ensuring a stable and happy future.
And if conflict continues, don’t be afraid to suggest a split of your group. We all know as homeschoolers that our time and energy is limited. It doesn’t make sense to stay in a group that isn’t a good fit. It might be better to split into groups that better meet the needs of the homeschool moms and their kids.
Once you’ve done the work of organizing and scheduling, you can enjoy your Catholic homeschool support group for years to come! Don’t be surprised if the way the group runs evolves in the months and years to come. Your own needs and those of the members will likely change. Be patient with each other, adaptable, and communicate well to ensure that your group is successful and supportive.
