How to Find Homeschool Community and Support
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Homeschooling can be lonely without a strong support system. That’s why it’s so important to find your homeschool community. If you’ve ever struggled to find your tribe, you’ll appreciate the tips Erin shares.
Have you had trouble finding a supportive homeschool community? You are not alone! I am right there with you! Finding supportive homeschool groups can be hard, especially if you’re an introverted homeschool mom like me.
We homeschool parents carry loads of pressure to be perfect and to do this homeschool thing right. We need allies, cheerleaders, and friends to support us on this educational journey. But finding our homeschool community and support system is frequently easier said than done.
Finding A Homeschool Community
To find your homeschool tribe, you’ve got to put yourself out there. Repeatedly! That’s hard. So is rejection or feeling like you don’t belong. It may take a while to find your tribe, but when you do, it is so worth it!
Because finding a homeschool community can help in more ways than one:
- You make friends (we all need someone to talk to)
- Your kids make friends
- You see that no one is perfect
- We all struggle and can help lift each other up
- There are other homeschool parents in the trenches just like you
- The right tribe is a fantastic source of homeschool help (or just general parenting help)
A Supportive Community
Finding your homeschool community doesn’t always have to include fellow homeschoolers. It can be any group that is supportive of your children and your family.
We have found a wonderfully supportive tribe through several different outlets. Those include our weekly reading to shelter animals. My kiddos made great friends with other kids who also loved cats, dogs, and reading. Snuggling and reading to these fur friends give the animals exposure to people, which helps make them more adoptable. This beautiful volunteer program gets the kids in the mindset of helping the less fortunate.
My kids are not into traditional sports. However, they love to move! Through that love of movement, another place we have found support is with our local ballet classes and ballet theater. The children have made incredible friends while I have found like-minded moms! I even started an adult ballet class!
Then there are the horses. My son started 4-H horse club this year, and now he and my daughter take weekly horse-riding lessons. We have met such lovely people at the horse barns. Some are also homeschoolers while others are not, but they are all incredibly compassionate and caring when it comes to my kids. I really appreciate that.
Finding Your Support System and Homeschool Community
Start seeking community through any number of extracurricular activities that you or your children participate in! Try some of these ideas:
- 4-H club (my son loves the 4-H horse club, plus it is free)
- STEM groups
- Sports
- Scouts
- Dance (ballet has been a huge one for us)
- Trampoline and skate parks
- Co-op
- Serving opportunities (local soup kitchens or volunteering at the local shelter)
- Library (many libraries have book clubs or special events for kids)
- Church
- Mom’s Night Out (most communities and local homeschool groups offer a monthly mom’s night)
- Start your own community
Online Homeschool Communities
Don’t forget the online communities! You can find supportive groups on Facebook and blogs. Connecting with these online communities helps when you feel lonely.
Look for groups specific to your needs such as giftedness, special needs, large family homeschooling, gameschooling, or working homeschool moms.
I am a big fan of the Homeschool Alliance, created by Brave Writer creator and author Julie Bogart. It’s a wonderful source of inspiration and wisdom from like-minded moms.
I love that online groups can help us find other moms with similar experiences as our own. Some of my best friends are the ones I met through these online forums.
When seeking your homeschool tribe, look for others with similar interests and those who celebrate the uniqueness of you and your kiddos. Don’t be afraid to meet new people…even people who may seem completely different than yourself. Those may be where some of your most fantastic supporters and friendships form.
What are your best tips for finding a supportive parenting and homeschool community?
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Erin Vincent is a homeschooling mom to two intense kids. They are child led with a heavy emphasis on read alouds, games, art, nature hikes, and hands on science! They traded the hustle and bustle of city life for the quiet farm life where opportunities for exploration in nature abound. When they're not homeschooling you'll find Erin curled up with a cup of coffee and a good book!. You can find Erin at Nourishing My Scholar.