When I was in the first few grades, we didn`t talk about homeschooling much because it was still illegal where we lived. That meant we didn`t know any other homeschooled kids either and since this was before the internet, my parents had no communication with other parents who were teaching their children at home. It was a lonely existence!
These days, things have vastly improved. Not only is homeschooling legal in many areas, it`s also becoming quite common. People know what it is, you don`t have to launch into a lengthy explanation about what exactly you do for school and with the internet, it`s possible to connect to other families around the world.
The benefits of meeting with other homeschoolers are many, but for some families, it`s just not possible to hang out in person with other homeschoolers all the time. For example, I live in Guatemala, where teaching kids at home is unheard of. We`re lucky enough to know another family of expats that is also homeschooling, but they are the only ones we`ve met. Another family I know is traveling from Alaska to Argentina by bike and teaching their kids along the way.
Many families also live in areas where they might not be exposed to many other homeschoolers, but that`s where the internet comes in handy. You can connect with people of similar interests easily online, no matter where you are. It`s good to be able to discuss educational techniques with other people who are on the same page as you and the internet allows us to do just that.
In the near future, Barnabas Way will be the ideal place to link up with other homeschool families. Your children will be able to talk to other kids who are schooling at home and you`ll be able to network with parents who have the same interests. While we`re working out the kinks in the membership site, however, why not get started in the comments? Let us know who you are and how you got started in homeschooling.
Tags: connect, families, homeschooling, network