Why We Don't Attend Homeschool Co-ops

 

Our family has only had positive experiences with the people in homeschool co-ops but homeschool co-ops in general have not been a great fit for us. Though during a very specific season of my life, they were a tremendous blessing, they simply did not work out most of the time. Here are the top five reasons why our family does not attend homeschool co-ops and what we do instead. 

5. Time Commitment

As a homeschool mom I am not afraid to make commitments. I schedule activities, playdates, and zoo trips with other homeschool families. What I do dread is the thought of a weekly commitment—especially with littles in the home. I will never forget the first (and only) year that I agreed to be the VBS director at my church. It was an unbelievable event, and they usually are. Parents love sending their kids to VBS during the summer and churches love the outreach opportunity. The event was well staffed and well attended, but what fell through the cracks was my family. I barely had time to make sure they had dinner on the table each night during the event, and worse, my two-year-old came down with a fever. My husband couldn't watch her due to work and nobody could babysit because I had recruited them all to help with VBS!

This was a wake-up call. I realized then that my family comes first and as long as I have young kids in the home, outside commitments are extremely limited. 

I quickly saw that co-ops were in the same vein as VBS, at least for my family. As soon as I would commit, more pressing responsibilities within my family would come up, and I realized that I was stuck in a difficult situation. The co-op group was depending on me—but so was my family. To help ease the stress, I simply do not add them to my plate.

4. Clash in Homeschool Methods

I can hang out with my Charlotte Mason and Classical Conversation friends all day long. I love them. We click and have fun together. Our kids enjoy hanging out with each other, too. They go to summer camp with each other, hang out at local events together, and meet up at parks or each others houses. What does not work for me, is to join one of their groups just for the socialization. The women there have a common methodology that they adhere to when they homeschool. I do not align my homeschooling with either of those philosophies so if my kids were to attend their classes, it would just be confusing for them. If I am trying to teach my child how to read using one method and then they sit in a class with a completely different method they are going to be confused. It's simply easier to keep the main education at home and leave the fun activities for with friends.  

3. Different Worldviews

My biggest concern with co-ops from the beginning was that I had no clue what the ideologies of the parents teaching the classes were. Since one of the main reasons I do not send my kids to public school is because I want to protect them from secular worldviews, why would I place them in a co-op with parents that have different worldviews? It seems to me that we would run into exactly the same issues and it is simply not worth the risk.

2. Too Similar to a Classroom Setting

Co-ops come in all shapes and sizes so this reason does not fit with all homeschool co-ops—but it does for some. When I chose to homeschool it was not simply because I wanted to do school outside of a public school but because I wanted to do school differently. I am not looking for a gym class to replace PE because my kids get exercise on the homestead carrying bales of hay and chasing chickens. I am not looking for an overpriced art class because I am blessed to have a creative husband that can teach my kids how to make stained glass art and create pottery in our kiln. I also am not looking for busywork but want learning to happen at home, not just with books but through problem solving in the kitchen, on the homestead, and in everyday life. Sitting in a classroom setting, even if just one day a week is just too confining for our homeschooling method.  

1. Lack of Flexibility

I love the freedom that comes with homeschooling—and the flexibility. If a friend wants to meet up at a park, we can. If a special event is happening at the local zoo, we can go. Plenty of opportunities are available everywhere for homeschoolers. Apps such as HomeschoolHQ can clue you in to what activities are homeschool-friendly. In addition to the fun stuff, there is the hard part of parenting, too. Some days simply need to be character development days where we stay home and work on behavior or attitude. Sure, that is no fun, but with little kids, that comes first. I prefer the freedom and flexibility that comes with homeschooling over sending my kids to school and the same with not sending my kids to a co-op. This is not to say I would not do it again when my kids are older if the right one presents itself but people often wonder why I am not a big co-op person, so I hope this answered that question!