Why You Should Attend A Homeschool Conference
From the nuts and bolts, to hopes and dreams beyond academics.
“Should I go, or not? Maybe I’ll just skip one of the days…I feel like I’ve been so many times that I’ve heard it all at this point.”
These are actual words I said to my husband this year as I was considering our upcoming local homeschool conference. As a homeschool mom of seven years, I’ve been to this homeschool conference many times. I have a list of favorite speakers, I know which booths offer which deals, and I can guess with a fair amount of accuracy what is going to be said in each session based off the title alone.
I went to our conference this year thinking that perhaps next year I’d skip the whole thing.
But when I found my eyes tearing up at the sermon preached in the general session, when I saw my kids so excited to meet a speaker they had only seen in video previously, and when a speaker started listing signs of a certain learning style that ticked all the boxes for one of my kids…I realized, I have not, in fact, heard it all.
A lot of veteran homeschooling moms no longer feel the need to go to conferences, but I realized anew this year that there is always something you can learn. There are a lot of good reasons to go to a homeschool conference, whether homeschooling is new to you or old hat, and I wanted to share a few ways you may benefit from attending.
To Educate Yourself About Homeschooling
While homeschooling doesn't have to be complicated, there are certainly many facets of homeschooling to be considered. Especially for first-time homeschooling parents, a conference can give you a general idea of what it looks like to homeschool on a daily basis, things you need to do legally to homeschool, and other basics. Even if you are a homeschool veteran, there is still so much to learn about different areas of homeschooling, and how to do it well.
Homeschooling is a serious endeavor, and the more you can educate yourself about methods and options and ideas on how to do it well, the better!
For Encouragement As A Christian Parent
The Christian homeschool conference I go to often covers more than just homeschool topics, because homeschooling as a Christian isn't just about academics or the actual bookwork - it's about creating solid relationships within your family, a friendly learning environment at home, training your kids in character and leadership, and ultimately glorifying the Lord with your efforts.
Every year when I attend our conference, I find myself wishing that all my Christian friends, homeschooled or not, could come and benefit from the encouragement in Christian parenting. It's life-giving to be around so many other families who all love the Lord and are trying to honor Him as they raise their children to love Jesus too. If you are not a homeschooler, I think you would still get a ton of encouragement as a parent from attending a homeschool conference.
You Can Often Get Deals On Your Curriculum Resources
On a more practical note, if you have your eye on a certain curriculum, and you know a vendor for that curriculum will be at a certain homeschool conference, go check out their booth. Many curriculum companies offer great discounts for attendees of homeschool conferences, and buying from them at the hall also encourages them to return and help fund the conference for the next year. Especially if you are looking at an expensive curriculum, the cost of the conference can be well worth the discount, especially when you consider all the other conference benefits,.
You Can Look At Possible Curricula In Person
Whenever I speak to a new homeschool friend about choosing curriculum, I recommend that they get their hands on an actual physical copy of the curriculum before they decide. There is something about looking through a book in person that lets you know whether the style is something that will add confusion or calm to your days.
If you know someone who owns a curriculum you are considering, you can ask them if you can look through it, but the best place to look through a bunch of curriculum at once is at a homeschool conference. I've ruled certain curricula out after looking through books at a conference, and I've also discovered gems that I may not have considered if I hadn't been browsing the conference aisles. A curriculum exhibit hall is a great place to gather ideas. Bonus tip: Make a budget beforehand, because it can be easy to buy too much in the curriculum hall!
It's An Opportunity To Make Connections With Other Homeschoolers
When my oldest was about to enter kindergarten, I knew no one else in real life who was homeschooling (though I had a few friends a couple years behind me who were planning on it). As a new homeschool mom, I was worried about making friends who were my son's age, and finding other moms who were already homeschooling to bounce ideas off of.
I went to the homeschool conference alone, and sat near another young-looking mom with a baby in a stroller. We struck up a conversation and ended up making friends with another first-time mom. The three of us spent the whole day together, and we got together after the conference for playdates. Though life took us different directions and I am no longer in contact with those friends, I am so thankful for the chance to meet other young homeschool moms and gain encouragement and camaraderie with them when I needed it.
If you don't know any fellow homeschoolers, I highly recommend checking out a conference, and don't be shy to sit next to another mom that looks like she is alone and strike up a conversation. You never know how those connections may develop. Also keep an eye out for booths or flyers for different groups or extracurricular activities in your area, because a conference is a great place to find those things.
You May Stumble Across Information That Will Change Everything
There are so many aspects of learning and learning difficulties that you may encounter when teaching your kids. I would not know about nearly as many of these if I did not attend the homeschool conference.
Most conferences will try to include at least a couple sessions that relate to learning challenges, and the information and solutions that are offered could be the key to a successful homeschool experience for you and your child! Even if you’ve been homeschooling for a while, it’s easy to get so focused on the day to day that you may not notice those little signs that one of your kids is struggling. Going to the right sessions at a conference can bring a lot of clarity for next steps to make learning go more smoothly.
To Gather Strength For Your Homeschool Journey
Homeschooling, while incredibly worthwhile, can also be a scary and possibly lonely endeavor. Most homeschool moms don't choose homeschooling because it's the easiest option, but because they have a vision for their child's education that is worth the effort it is going to take. Homeschooling conferences can be greatly strengthening for getting started, and refreshing for those who find themselves discouraged.
I have often found that our homeschool conference reminds me of why I'm homeschooling, which is something that I can lose sight of during the school year. Hearing speakers who have gone through their own homeschooling journeys, laughing at our common struggles, and gaining tips for how to overcome the hard days are all a great encouragement, and help me keep my eye on the prize - which is raising my children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, raising them to be leaders and independent thinkers, raising them to stand for what God says is right even when culture says it's wrong.
All of that is infinitely more important than just the nuts and bolts of getting through the curriculum (though there is encouragement for that too). Homeschool conferences can be bolstering, a challenge and an encouragement for all the hopes and goals for our children that go beyond academics.
As I was reminded myself this year, they are well worth the time and effort to attend, and can pay off in ways you may not expect.