Wrapping Up Our Homeschool Co-Op Semester

This is my 9th (I think) year of homeschool.  I have now graduated my older 2 and my youngest is now a junior in high school.  We have been a part of a homeschool co-op for most of the time we have homeschooled.  When we first got started, we joined a co-op that was about an hour away.  They had a lot to offer from extra curricular classes to academic classes.  It was a great group of parents and they were very welcoming and helped us a lot as we were just getting started on our journey.  However, we only stayed with them a short time due to the drive.  Not long after that, a group of friends in my area were all homeschooling.  We decided to get together and form our own co-op.  It was a group of 6 moms with our kids.  I don't remember how many kids we had total, but it was between 15-20.  It was quite the group!  We tried doing some of the core subjects, but it wasn't always that easy to get the job done with a bunch or rowdy boys, and I might add...stinky lol.  One of the places we met was in a house (owned by the church next door and not being used)...to close pre-teen/teen boys up in a small bedroom just to have a quite place to teach a class.  Let's just say it was less than pleasant.

Fast forward another year or 2...we found a co-op close by that was just starting to open up their doors to "outsiders".   A couple of the moms from our group of 6 were going to try it out and since it was only a 20 minute drive, I decided I would give it a try too.  I'm happy to say that I'm still with this co-op.  I don't even know how many years its been.  We have all made some great friends in this group.  Moms, let me tell you...the comfort you have when you know the parents of the kids your kids are hanging out with is amazing!  My kids were never (even in public school) allowed to go to a friend's house without us first knowing the parents.  Being a part of a co-op, it's like a built-in bonus.  

Now, let me bash one of those homeschool myths: Homeschool kids are unsocialized....ummm, really? My kids, as well as many others in our group, can carry on a conversation with people of all ages.  I've seen it time and time again. We have all ages at our co-op, from babies all the way up to grandmas.  The adults are respected, the kids know how to engage with others, the teenage boys are helpful and know how to open doors and help carry things.  All of the kids pitch in on their designated days to help clean up when we are done.  They learn responsibility.  They grow up to be respectful young adults, willing to lend a helping hand.

Even with a great group, as most homeschool moms can relate, I'm always happy when it comes to the end of our co-op semester and we get a break.  But, if I'm being honest, I also miss the time together.  Realizing that I only have 3 more semesters with my youngest is a bit bittersweet.  I enjoy the time with other moms and love watching the kids grow and learn.  Most of my time with this co-op, I have taught the "littles" crafts.  I love seeing all of their individuality.  This year I'm also teaching a yearbook class with a few of the teen girls.  This will be our 2nd time offering a yearbook.  I did yearbook in high school and it was one of my favorite classes.  So to be able to offer it to my kids has been great!  It's always so fun to see it all come together and have memories to last a lifetime.

With that being said, it's time for our holiday break...don't mind me as I spend time with my family and also sneak in a little bit of time for some fun crafts of my own or maybe even working on our homeschool yearbook.

Enjoy this time with your loved ones!