Each summer my husband and I head to Denver to attend our state’s homeschool convention. The weekend is always a time of encouragement and renewed vision, as well as a fun time for the two of the two of us to get away together. Numerous speakers and workshops are available as well as a curriculum sale, which makes it easy to inspect books and lesson plans prior to purchasing them.
One of the most exciting aspects of a convention is seeing the multitude of homeschooling parents gathered in one place. The attendance at our conference numbers about 6,000, and it is great to see familiar faces and lots of new people each year. Fathers attend in large numbers, along with their wives, making this a perfect time for couples to make goals and specific plans for their families. Many fathers are surprised to find that there is an important role for them in their homeschool, and that this way of raising children is best done with dad in the lead.
The curriculum fair is like the biggest and most amazing bookstore ever. Most of the items you have read about in catalogs are generally available to look at, and this makes curriculum selection simple. It is easy to avoid the “Ooops, this isn’t what I expected” syndrome that comes from catalog shopping. My husband and I have found, however, that we need to stick together when buying books because the one year that we split the list and shopped separately, we ended up spending double the budget! Big mistake!
Attending your state’s homeschool convention may seem like a hassle or an unnecessary expense, but I can say from experience that it could be one of the most important parts of your school year. The encouragement you receive from the speakers and other homeschooling parents, as well as the chance to rethink your goals and plans for the year, make the weekend worth it.
To find a convention in your area, click here, or simply google the name of your state and “homeschool convention or conference”. You should find what you are looking for.
Happy homeschooling!
My mother and I are going to our next month. It will be my, our first. I wish I could bring my hubby but you are right about the cost they are expensive. Maybe he and I can go next year.
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I have not been to a homeschool convention before. Hopefully, this year will be my first!
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I agree. Though Bud never goes with me, it’a always a good opportunity to refresh my vision for the coming year.
And I really appreciate being able to handle the merchandise before I buy it.
A friend who is seriously thinking of homeschooling is going with me this year, so we should have a lot of fun getting her eyeballs back into her head!
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Hi Randi;
Great article!
After 11 years of homeschooling, I’d have to agree that you should make plans to go to a convention. I also love seeing all the other Christian homeschoolers (maybe 5,000 at ours) of all the different denominations…brothers and sisters in Christ.
I was just telling my kids that I love the convention time and honestly if they had them once a month, I’d so be there.
I do go with my Knight and when my oldest got around 12 she began to join us. She is such a help, as she remembers all the books we already “own”, which helps in my buying for the 5 siblings who are eagerly awaiting us at home post-convention.
I can hardly wait now.
big hug
Kimmie
mama to 6
one homemade and 5 adopted
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I have to agree. I am attending 2 this year…one with my hubby and one with my mom. Can’t wait!
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This is a great idea! I’m much more hands-on than most catalogs allow! I’d love to get to see these things before I pay for them! Thanks!
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