Building Your Homeschool Community

Fall 2023, by Laura McKinney Adams

Humans need community. Some find it through churches, scouting, sports teams, orchestras, etc. For homeschoolers, there are many ways to socialize, but there is particular value in finding a homeschool community. Other homeschoolers are more likely to share your schedule and pace of life, and it’s easier to meet up with people in similar circumstances. Homeschooling parents understand the effort and energy that homeschooling requires and can encourage you in moments of fatigue. And let’s be honest—there are moments of fatigue!

Withdrawing a child from public school and beginning to homeschool is a major life change. Connecting with other homeschoolers who have been through the same thing aids in the transition. While those who are pulling students out of school need special support, those who homeschool from the beginning also need community. In my local homeschool group, we have moms who have volunteered to mentor new homeschoolers.

When you’re searching for a homeschool community, it helps to understand the types of homeschool communities. All of these have their place, but they differ in mission and scope. The kind of community that is the best fit depends on your circumstances.

A co-op is a group of parents and children who come together about once a week for classes. Depending on the co-op, the classes can be academic or enrichment. In a traditional co-op, all parents teach or assist in a class. Since the teachers are all unpaid parents, co-ops are often fairly inexpensive. Co-ops can be a good way to meet people if you are new to an area or new to homeschooling.

Support groups are focused on social gatherings, not on classes. Individual groups vary, but support groups typically offer things like Christmas parties, Valentine exchanges, moms’ nights out, field trips, proms, and park days. These activities provide for community building for both parents and students.

Paid classes are great for outsourcing some subjects to another teacher. While homeschooled students can make friends through paid classes, these classes don’t usually do much for the homeschooling parent’s social life. However, the decrease in stress and workload is a definite benefit to the parent! Working parents also tend to find paid classes helpful.

It is good to consider how to meet your children’s needs for community without neglecting your own need. Having a solid group of people for both yourself and your children makes homeschooling sustainable. I am blessed to have a solid group of homeschool mom friends now. It took two years of intentional effort to get here, but it was worth it!

When searching for friends, try not to limit yourself too much. A good homeschool friend doesn’t have to be your age, doesn’t have to have children the same ages as yours, and doesn’t even have to share your exact philosophy of education. A good homeschool friend should share your values and be willing to listen.

One of my dear homeschool friends is fifteen years older than I am and has been a tremendous encouragement in my life. She has a lot of experience teaching boys and is happy to answer any questions I have. It’s so helpful to have a mentor friend! I met her through a local support group.

It’s also beneficial to have some peer friends. A peer friend has children who are similar in age to yours. These are the people you text for reassurance when your child’s aversion to handwriting is about to drive you up a wall. These are also the people you commiserate with when you have to retrieve your toddler from mischief while teaching a math lesson. These are your people who have not forgotten the difficulties of your current life stage because they’re still in it.

If you need assistance in locating a homeschool community in your local area, you may reach out to one of NCHE’s regional liaisons. NCHE divides the state of North Carolina into nine regions. Each region has a regional liaison who helps homeschoolers connect with other homeschoolers in their local area. You can find your region and contact your regional liaison on the NCHE website; the link is https://www.nche.com/community/regions/. Find this under community in the main menu.

If you are on Facebook, try searching for (your county) County Homeschoolers. Many areas have active Facebook groups where parents share extracurricular activities and informal social meet-ups.

If you’re new to homeschooling and know a veteran homeschool parent through church or another social outlet, ask them if they can recommend a local group. Experienced homeschool parents are usually happy to help new homeschoolers get connected.

Homeschooling is a journey that you don’t want to take alone. Take some time this year to invest in building your homeschool community. You won’t regret it.

Laura McKinney Adams is a wife and mother to three. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Liberty University. While at Liberty, she met her husband, who is a fellow homeschool graduate. She writes about classical education, lifelong learning for moms, and homeschooling the early years at lauramckinneyadams.com.