Even though my oldest is not yet three, I decided to attend the homeschool convention held here in Cincinnati a month ago. I heard opinions on both sides of the issue: "Don't go! You'll be completely overwhelmed and will never want to go again!" vs. "Go this year, while there isn't any pressure to get started immediately, while you can take it all in without having to make decisions." The latter seemed to make sense, so I took a deep breath and clicked "complete registration." :)
I am so glad I went. Even though the vendor hall was just as overwhelming as convention-veterans promised me it would be, I was extremely grateful for the opportunity to flip through curricula for the first time and get a sense of what homeschooling might actually look like (in book form, not in day-to-day form!). I was fortunate to run around with a friend who is looking at the same basic grade-level material that I am, so we asked questions and opened books and weighed pros and cons and discussed our children's personalities. It was eye-opening and fascinating and rich with possibility. (I assume, of course, that my rosy-eyed view of homeschooling and conventions and curriculum choices will fade soon enough, but for now I feel on the brink of something big and exciting, a whole new world to explore!)
Overall, I fared pretty well with my session choices as well. I chose a few based on my situation in life (infants and toddlers), a few based on specific concerns regarding my firstborn's abilities and personality, and a few just because they're big names in the homeschooling world. I have pages and pages of notes that, hopefully, will someday be relevant and perhaps even helpful (if I can decipher them at all, of course). At the very least, I feel more settled in my decisions for the relatively-immediate future, thanks to insights from people who have done this for years! My favorite speaker by far was Andrew Pudewa, who related the Suzuki method (of learning to play an instrument) to academic learning. As a Suzuki-trained kid turned Suzuki-trained teacher with a Suzuki-trained mom, the whole concept was simply fascinating to me!
Really, it was just a convenient year for me to go. The kids are old enough not to need me excessively, and I'm not nursing any babies at the moment (though there were plenty of nursing mothers there!). I went home early on the days I got tired (I was 33 weeks pregnant, after all) and treated myself to lunches downtown, which made it sort of a fun little get-away for three days. A little intimidating, yes, but all in all a highly worthwhile weekend.
I am so glad I went. Even though the vendor hall was just as overwhelming as convention-veterans promised me it would be, I was extremely grateful for the opportunity to flip through curricula for the first time and get a sense of what homeschooling might actually look like (in book form, not in day-to-day form!). I was fortunate to run around with a friend who is looking at the same basic grade-level material that I am, so we asked questions and opened books and weighed pros and cons and discussed our children's personalities. It was eye-opening and fascinating and rich with possibility. (I assume, of course, that my rosy-eyed view of homeschooling and conventions and curriculum choices will fade soon enough, but for now I feel on the brink of something big and exciting, a whole new world to explore!)
Overall, I fared pretty well with my session choices as well. I chose a few based on my situation in life (infants and toddlers), a few based on specific concerns regarding my firstborn's abilities and personality, and a few just because they're big names in the homeschooling world. I have pages and pages of notes that, hopefully, will someday be relevant and perhaps even helpful (if I can decipher them at all, of course). At the very least, I feel more settled in my decisions for the relatively-immediate future, thanks to insights from people who have done this for years! My favorite speaker by far was Andrew Pudewa, who related the Suzuki method (of learning to play an instrument) to academic learning. As a Suzuki-trained kid turned Suzuki-trained teacher with a Suzuki-trained mom, the whole concept was simply fascinating to me!
Really, it was just a convenient year for me to go. The kids are old enough not to need me excessively, and I'm not nursing any babies at the moment (though there were plenty of nursing mothers there!). I went home early on the days I got tired (I was 33 weeks pregnant, after all) and treated myself to lunches downtown, which made it sort of a fun little get-away for three days. A little intimidating, yes, but all in all a highly worthwhile weekend.
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