Co-op

Probably the biggest change to our homeschooling this year was joining a co-op. We went for the first time last week and the kids loved it! I had contemplated joining last year, but was unsure if I could make that commitment- Luke was still an infant, it was only our first year homeschooling- but this year I knew I was ready. As much as I love the homeschooling lifestyle, it felt like it was time for us to get out of the house for something on a regular basis!

Co-op couldn't be more convenient for us. It meets once a week and is literally five minutes from my house.  The kids start with opening exercises- flag salute, praises, prayer requests, announcements, and then they break into classes by age groups. Classes last until lunch, and after that they kids are free to play.The moms take turns teaching for a four week session, and you can pick any topic you want. At the end of each session there's a family night where everyone get together for a pot-luck dinner and the kids can show off what they learned to dads and grandparents.

My biggest concern about joining was how Luke was going to handle it. He is my anti-social child and screams when I leave him anywhere, but he did awesome! I snuck out of the room, which made me feel kind of evil, but it worked because he was pretty happy the whole time. He almost went to sleep on one of the moms! He and Caleb are in the same group and they went on a nature walk and collected leaves and acorns and stuff. So cute.

Gracie already had some friends (one cousin even) in her group,so that was a bonus(not that she would have any problem making any, lol!) She is learning about space right now. Her teacher made paper mache planets with them AND they made their own ice cream for snack time! How cool is that?

I teach Gracie's group in January and Caleb and Luke's in May. I'm doing a unit on music with Gracie's group. I want to make it fun- make our own instruments, paint to music, maybe find a copy of Disney's "Peter and the Wolf".For Caleb and Luke's class I'm doing farm animals and I'm HOPING to time it just right to have some chicks hatching...we'll see ;)

It's so encouraging to see how all the moms work together and do their best to make the classes fun and interesting.  Unlike a job where people sometimes show up and do their work half-heartedly, everyone gives it their best, because they want the same for their kids. And it's nice for the kids to meet with friends on a regular basis- not because they won't be "socialized" otherwise but because it gives them time to form those steady friendships that will last for years.