Years ago, when Ashley was little and we were just starting with our homeschool journey, we participated in a local co-op. I thought this was something that you just had to do if you were homeschooling. But, I remember thinking that the classes weren’t really “important” subjects/topics and that the time spent there each week might have been better spent at home. Also, I just never really felt like we fit in. (If you’re a local homeschooler and you’re reading this, no offense!)
Since that time, I’ve never wished for a co-op situation. I have a friend who has a really high-class co-op that is a one-day-a-week, full-day affair. Her children participate in class settings for required classes (such as science, history, and higher-level math) where they are taught by a qualified teacher who assigns their weekly tasks. They also take part in sports and music classes. If we had access to something like this locally then, by all means, we’d be in.
Lately, we’ve been participating in some field trips and teen group activities in a neighboring county. It’s good for the kids to be exposed to other homeschoolers and to make new friends; so this has been fun for us. We also socialize at church (Sunday School and Youth Groups) and participate in music lessons, etc.
I’d never discourage someone from participating in a co-op; we just haven’t found a co-op situation that meets our needs or that we can fit into our schedule. If you’d like to read what other Crew members have to say about co-ops, click here. Next week, we’ll be sharing how we keep grades; so be sure to check back!
