August 11, 2021 – Homeschool Support: Husband, Co-op, or Convention

Homeschool Support: Husband, Co-op, or Convention

August 11, 2021

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

We Need Strong Support

My husband has always been supportive of home education, sometimes pushing me past my comfort zone to try new things. But most spouses are not home for the day-to-day adventure of home education and all that entails. That is where a co-op, or homeschool support group, or even a yearly convention come in. There are actually many new digital conventions all throughout the year! Here is one you can watch right now: Home Education: Am I Really Qualified?

For support throughout the school year, I suggest joining a local group. I can’t begin to tell you how valuable these groups became to our whole family. Here are my top ten reasons why they are so valuable.

A support group or co-op is where . . .

1. you can share your heart and the other moms understand you and don’t look at you with incredulous stares or make offensive comments.
2. you learn how to teach something you didn’t know before, and investigate styles and curriculum you never tried before.
3. you can get together with other families and study any topic under the sun.
4. you and your children make friends that have the same values. Some of those friendships last a lifetime.
5. you laugh and cry and play and learn together.
6. you talk and listen and pray for each other.
7. you can ask all your questions and hear many answers, some which might work perfectly for you.
8. you receive group discounts for educational field trips
9. you are encouraged by like-minded friends to continue on when you feel like giving up.
10. you can study God’s Word together and remember why you have your children Home. Where They Belong.

One of my favorite Scriptures I have gone to for support over the years is this:

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

~ Deborah

Check out these articles for additional homeschool support:

Dads: Great Teachers of Units TOO by Jessica Hulcy
Should I Join a Co-Op? A question for Every Homeschool Mom by Debbie Slaughter
Put New Wind in Your Sail! Attend a State or Local Homeschool Convention by Jan May

P.S. I want to thank you, our readers, for loving us and encouraging us here at The Homeschool Minute. You are like a support group to our team. Please let us know how we can best support you. Email dwuehler@theoldschoolhouse.com.

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Todd Wilson

Familyman Ministries

Find Your Support

Homeschool moms need support. It’s not a matter of “do they;” it’s a matter of “how much.” And the answer is . . . lots.

Mark Twain once said he could live for a week on a word of encouragement. You moms have to homeschool 180 days a year (or really 365 days) so you need as much as you can get. The topic title “husband, co-op, or convention” may imply that you need to choose between the three, but the reality is you need all three. Let’s look at them quickly:

Husband: You need your husband’s encouragement. If you don’t have a husband, don’t sweat it. God said he’d fill that void and be the husband to the “husbandless.” If you do have a husband, save yourself a lot of trouble, and buy him the book Help! I’m Married to a Homeschooling Mom. It’s an easy-to-read, hilarious look at what a homeschooling mom needs from her man. Trust me on this one. Also, sign him up for our free weekly email. He’ll be glad you did.

Co-op: You need homeschooling mom friends. You may need a homeschool co-op where you can share your struggles and rub shoulders with other moms . . . but you may not need a full-blown co-op. That’s up to you and your needs.

Convention: Right now, we’re getting ready to take our two youngest boys to a LEGO^® convention near Washington DC. The building will be filled with LEGO^® lovers, LEGO^® demonstrations, LEGO^® hype, and LEGO^® encouragement. Homeschool conventions do the same thing for homeschooling moms. If you’ve never been, you just need to make yourself go. You’ll be blown away by the life-sustaining encouragement you’ll receive. So take a few minutes and search “____________ (your state) Homeschool Convention”

Lastly, you also need to sign up for our weekly newsletter at the Smiling Homeschooler, or listen to our weekly podcast. We specialize in homeschool encouragement, and we want you and your children to smile. So check us out, and sign up right now.

Be real,
Todd

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Danika Cooley

Coffee for the Kingdom

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, ESV)

Homeschool moms are so often concerned about getting our kids the proper support, aren’t we? We want to make sure they have friends with whom they can explore life.

But what about moms? We are flesh-and-blood people created in need of real relationships.

Find a Homeschool Mom Friend

For years, my friend and I met at her house once a week for coffee while our kids played. It was an important time to pray for each other, trade books, and discuss our precious families. With my kids now in high school, I walk early every morning with another homeschool friend while we talk about world events, our lives, and our homeschools. My life is richer for our friendship.

Pray in a Group

I love my kids, but God loves them so much more. For the past four years, I’ve met with a “Moms in Prayer” group to pray for our kids and for the children in the public school in our small town. We believe every child needs prayer.

Meet to Study the Bible

One of the great blessings of my life has been to meet twice a month in the home of another homeschool mom with a small group of friends to talk about the Bible. We pray for each other, for our kids, and for those we love. We hold each other accountable and get real about our relationship with God.

It’s easy to believe that taking time to meet with a friend takes precious time away from our family. While it is true that we should guard the time we have devoted to our children and their education, meeting together with believers is a good reward for our toil. We lift each other up.

Think of it as coffee for the Kingdom.

Danika Cooley is the author of Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible (Bethany House) and Bible Road Trip™, a three-year Bible survey for preschool to high school. An award-winning children’s author, Danika’s new line of Christian history for 3rd to 5th graders (Who What Why Series, Christian Focus Publications) debuts in September. Grab your FREE 130-page Bible Study Tool Kit.

Roger Smith

Parenting Matters Now

Pillar of Knowledge
Roger Smith – Dad: The Greatest Natural Resource!

How do you get dads involved in homeschooling the kids? It’s an all-important question that has some answers, but more importantly, “Why get Dad involved?”

Homeschooling, in its best condition, is a team sport. It’s like playing doubles tennis where the team that wins is the one who plays together with a balanced attack. A player is at the net while the other is at the baseline. Neither can return every ball, but each is focused on playing his/her position that may rapidly change. One cheers on the other and communicates clearly to help the team win.

If Dad appears to not be in the game at your house, there are some things to do to change the situation. It may start with believing the best about him—believing he wants to be engaged but has not seen where you need him. Sometimes, moms try to show “I got this!” to everyone in a way that can sound like, “I don’t need you.” But your teammate brings things to your family that makes learning better in some way.

Children want time with their dads, and it can be achieved by teaming up on homeschooling if mom can just toss “a ball” to dad regularly. But looking for the right situation may help dad overcome his own insecurity about jumping in the game. Consider things he is knowledgeable about or good at; then find a picture or illustration in a book on that subject and ask him to explain it to you.

Your interest in what he is good at opens the door to your homeschool to let him in. When he answers your question about something he knows, get excited, and call the children around for him to explain the same thing to them. It shows respect and builds a bridge between him and the children. And it invites him into the learning process in your home. Dad is a great resource in your home—the greatest natural resource. Find ways to get him in the game.

Dr. Roger Smith is a family doctor in rural Louisiana, where he and his wife, Jan, raised four adventurous children who are all grown, making their own mark in the world. He speaks and writes on parenting issues and produces brief videos that can be found on Facebook @ParentingMattersNow.

The Kentucky State Fair, which offers all sorts of educational activities for families, will be August 19th-29th. This year some of the activities will include: Time Travel with the Lewis & Clark expedition from Frazier History Museum, Mingle with Kangaroos, Wallabies, and Reptiles in the Aussie Kingdom, Test Your Skills in the hands-on Ford simulated assembly line, and MORE! Get the family together and visit: https://kystatefair.org/ Make your plans today!

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Reaching the growing homeschooling community is important to us at SchoolhouseTeachers.com. That’s why, as a leader in the homeschooling market, we invite you to join SchoolhouseTeachers.com. Membership grants you access to the Hey, Mama! Members’ Bright Spot Zoom chat at 4 p.m. EDT on 8/17. Get to know the homeschool market and learn about the increasing needs of homeschoolers in light of today’s current climate.

Homeschooling’s not dead! Come and join the Explore the World of Homeschooling LIVE Facebook Party on Monday, August 16, from 3:30–5:00 EDT to learn how alive and well homeschooling truly is! Win prizes, listen to experienced homeschool moms, and be inspired by all the homeschooling community has to offer new and veteran homeschoolers alike. https://www.facebook.com/theoldschoolhouse

A division of The Old Schoolhouse®

Wondering how the 2021–22 school year will look? Gain insight in the Back to School: Planning, Supplies, and Curriculum Resource Guide within the summer edition of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. The digital edition is available for download now. It is FREE to access and may be downloaded to your computer, laptop, or mobile devices. You can access the magazine online at www.TOSMagazine.com

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Congratulations to Ashley Dillon from Huntsville, AL, who won our June giveaway!

Contest Corner

for the month of August

Blocks Rock!

Blocks Rock LLC

https://blocksrock.com

Blocks Rock! is a STEM game created by Blocks Rock LLC. The game contains a set of different colored and shaped blocks, a timer, and two sets of cards. The blocks, made of wood, are very sturdy. The timer is a traditional looking bell timer. There are two sets of cards included. One set is large, colorful preschool STEM cards that help develop hand-eye coordination while learning shapes and colors. The other cards are smaller, the size of regular playing cards, and used for the Blocks Rock! challenges.

My students played this game together during their free time. They enjoyed the competition of the race to build. The packaging of the set makes it easy for them to pull out on their own and put away. It is compact enough that it stores away easily on a shelf. I was pleased to have a game like this available to them that worked on the development of STEM skills.

I would recommend this product. It is well-constructed and durable. I could see this being great for a preschool child and teaching shapes and colors. The product would grow with that same child as they develop and could do challenges so it will last longer than traditional preschool STEM toys. Both of my students are elementary age, and they both enjoyed the game so it covers a very wide range of ages.

This is part of a review for the Blocks Rock! building game. Read the full review on our site with much more information about using this in your home.

Go to the contest page of our site where you can ENTER TO WIN  Blocks Rock!

Freebies

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This free product and more are found in our 2021 Freebie Directory: TOS Freebie Directory – The Old Schoolhouse®

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Fall Harvest: Where’s the Fruit? – The Old Schoolhouse®

Where is the fall harvest of God’s goodness and righteousness in your heart and in your house? Go through each season/stage of development with the author as she shares her wisdom, experiences, and what she has learned, and you’ll see a pattern of things to be doing (or not doing) to ensure a good harvest in your children’s lives and in your own heart. She promises to show you something optimistic and hopefully even beautiful.

Find more freebies at The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Store: Freebies Archives – The Old Schoolhouse®

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Share this newsletter with a friend, and be sure to let those CONSIDERING homeschooling know about the enormous FREE info-pack which awaits them here: www.TryHomeschooling.com.