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Episode 15: Homeschool Community – Finding, Sustaining and How it Evolves
Homeschool communities and groups – Do we need to join one? Should we start one? How do we consider changes to both communities and our family over time? We were so grateful to have Kendel from @spark.to.flame.homelearning on Instagram to share her insight and experience with facilitating a local home ed group with us as we discussed each of our own thoughts and experiences. We invite you to join in for a listen!
We Discuss:
Homeschool community as a help to confidently beginning the home ed journey, although not a necessity
New families who began to homeschool during the pandemic – accepted or not into pre-pandemic groups?
Navigating the choices (co-ops, forest schools, field trips, lessons, get-togethers with families)
Being welcomed as pivotal to our overall feeling about home education
Moving away from the “right” answer for a homeschool group because families, communities and needs evolve
Children developing friendships based on what we’d like in our lives in a similar way that adults do
The unique bonding that can develop over time between homeschool peers, possibly because of such a degree of open time together
Children being valued by other kids because they are seen as being so valued by their parents.
Joining a community as a way of giving shape to the week
Differences between the dynamics of the groups
The challenges among families and organizers of operating by consensus (even though it is still ultimately positive!)
Whether we cling to homeschool connections!
How open or not to keep our communities? The potential for exclusion and at the same time, for pushing children to include beyond what they are comfortable with
Forest schools, parent-led and facilitator-led
Shared ideas of what to do when children have different needs or preferences of going to a group event
Really letting children have their feelings about whether or not they want to be there and finding ways to make a special or comfortable aspect for them
Having first hand experiences at a young age of navigating and working things out creatively
Discussing ahead of time, being honest about how everyone is feeling
How kids having their emotions validated helps them learn so much about themselves
No set outcomes and relinquishing control
Not “punishing” kids for having a good time in the sense of saying “I told you so”
Being clear with ourselves about what we are looking to get out of homeschool community
Moving away from the expectation of a homeschool community utopia
The hope for more homeschool families over time
And more … !
Resources:
Spark to Flame Home Learning Instagram
Virtual Kitchen Table Episode #3: Choice in Education, Living and Learning in Community