Homeschooling Support Groups
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When you are homeschooling, it can help a lot to have other  homeschooling parents to talk to or email with. Some days you may just want to chitchat, while other days you may need to vent. It's also nice to be able to exchange ideas and resources with other parents on the homeschooling path, and it can be very rewarding to know you helped a fellow homeschooler solve a problem, as it can be reassuring to know that others are there to help you when needed.
Finding a generic, homeschooling support group is easy. Simply do a quick Google search, and you will get several. You can find homeschooling groups (online and off) based in your state, country or region by using your search engine. You can often find homeschooling groups listed in the newspaper's community section, on church bulletin boards, and on community bulletin boards.
However, there are many, many types of homeschooling support groups. While some are "one size fits all," many are Christian based, some are secular, others are based on a particular homeschooling method, such as Montessori or John Holt's unschooling, and still others are for single parent homeschoolers.
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Since it can be very difficult to find a homeschooling group that is in a niche that includes geography, religion or lack of, methodology and marital status, another recourse is to start your own. You could advertise locally on bulletin boards and in the newspaper and then host a get together in your home or at a community venue. Starting one online is as simple as a short visit to Yahoo. If you make your niche to narrow though, you may not get any members.
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Another option is to simply join more than one group. Yo u could also find a homeschooling support group that, while more on the generic end, is over all kind, tolerant, patient and open minded enough to be supportive even when your homeschooling methods or values greatly differ.
Since unschooling is on the fringe of homeschooling, many unschoolers are more comfortable in an unschooling support group. Also, unlike the other methods of homeschooling, unschooling is not curriculum driven. While lessons and learning materials and teaching time are provided, the subjects are based on the child's interests. For this reason as well, unschooling homeschoolers will find more help with logistics and support for parenting/teaching issues in an unschooling group.
Geography is a consideration for those who prefer getting together in person. Keep in mind though that a homeschooling group's get together for the kids, such as a field trip, won't serve the same purpose as a support group. If you are a member of a local group, talk to the other parents about scheduling some time just for parents to get together on a regular basis and share their ups and downs, ideas and strategies.
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As you can see, a homeschooling support group can serve many purposes and be a wonderful source of friendship and ideas.
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