How much time does the average person spend on facebook? 300 hours per day?
What if you spent some of that time making your homeschool journey easier and more connected? Facebook was the first place I started when I began to consider homeschooling years ago and it is still a place I find community and inspiration.
Step one was looking for local groups in my area. Simply search “your city” and “homeschool” and I bet several pop up. I was in a few local groups before I even began homeschooling. I feel very lucky to have fallen into the perfect group for us right as Miss W was about to begin her 5k year and our first official year as homeschoolers. (shout out to GBSHF)
Some things to consider when looking at local groups. Do the group rules jibe with you? Most groups will have guidelines and it is best to check them out right away. Are they secular or faith based? Do they allow sales posts? Are any topics of discussion off limits? Do they welcome online schoolers? Do they offer events or fieldtrips? Looking for answers to some of these questions may help you decide which groups to join. Or hey join them all, you can always leave a group later if it’s not giving you the warm fuzzies.
Local groups allowed me to find real life homeschool friends for both myself and my daughter.
This is so valuable when taking a path less followed! You’ll need those homeschool hommies when you get a weird letter from your public school district you’re unsure of or when you’re stressing about your child’s penmanship or reading level. If you can’t find a local group that fits your needs make one. Once created you’ll find others who needed the exact kind of support you do. It is an “If you build it they will come” situation.
Next take a look at some national and worldwide homeschool groups on facebook. These can be great for ideas, curriculum suggestions, and articles you may never be exposed to otherwise. With often much higher group numbers you can get a wider and more varied response to questions asked there. This leads me to my next tip…
Don’t be a wallflower. Once you’ve joined some groups be active in them. Ask questions. Share your successes. Offer answers in areas you know about. If you are really looking to go for it make an introduction post (especially in local groups) let people know who you are, who your kids are, and what you are hoping to get out of the group whether it be info, inspiration, in person togetherness or a bit of it all.
Some other types of pages to look for are those created by brands, creators, bloggers, and curriculum companies you like. They often have both user groups and pages to like. You can connect with other families using the same materials you’re using and be in the know on new product offerings or sales.
You may also wish to look up buy sell trade groups. Sometimes they are homeschooling general or linked to a specific curriculum or curriculum company. I’ve been amazed to see how quickly books and printed copies get resold in some b/s/t groups. We are talking quick, like a fifteen minute old post has multiple people calling our “next” in the comments. A great way to clear our old or unused items, or to grab a deal on what you’ve been eyeing for next year.
Lastly you simply must find a page full of meme shares. Nope not joking! It could be a homeschool funny or an inspirational quote, somedays that’s all you need to turn a tough day around.
So get out there and find your facebook tribe, but…….. (in my best “mom” voice) keep an eye on your screen time peeps!