By Ashley Vaughan
Finding homeschool support and building relationships can be a challenge! Whether you are new to homeschooling, just moved to the area, or want to expand your homeschool friends base, finding and growing new friendships can take time. But after you pass the age of eight, finding friends is not as easy as just going to a local playground.
So, how can you connect with other homeschooling families to share this journey with? Well, we are glad you asked! Below are a couple of lists containing ideas for meeting other homeschooling families and building friendships with them.
Step 1: Find Fellow Homeschoolers
Join a Homeschool Group
One of the best ways to find friends for your kids (and yourself!) is to join a homeschool group and get plugged in. CHEC has a helpful directory, and it can even be filtered based on the region in Colorado where you reside.
Attend a Homeschool Event
It’s a two-for-one kind of deal. You can get encouraged and equipped for your homeschooling journey and also find like-minded families! CHEC hosts various events throughout the year.
Join the Colorado Homeschool Discussion Facebook Group
Virtual friends do not hold a candle to in-person friends, but sometimes, you need to find a friend online before you meet in person. The CHEC Homeschool Discussion Group is a great resource for doing just that!
Check Out Homeschool Days on the Community Calendar
Our team searches out homeschool days that are held at popular locations around the state and compiles them in the Community Calendar. If there is one that piques your interest, check it out! You will likely see other homeschoolers who were also interested in that event while you are there. (If you know of any events we missed adding to our calendar, let us know!)
Volunteer as a Family for a CHEC Event
There is no better way to find like-minded families and gain new homeschool friends than serving alongside them in a cause you both care about. We humbly suggest a great way to do that: volunteering at a CHEC organized event. We can always use volunteers at the Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference or Homeschool Day at the Capitol.
Find Homeschool Friends at Church
Did you know many homeschooling families have found some of their closest homeschool friends at church? It’s true! You already have a lot in common, so why not reach out to other homeschooling families at your church and see if they would like to hang out? You could even plan fun activities together, invite other homeschool families, and cultivate an ever-expanding, close-knit homeschooling community within your church.
Step 2: Nurture Budding Homeschool Friendships
Okay, now you have newfound homeschool friends. But how do you go about building relationships with one another? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Join a Book Club
What a fantastic way to motivate your children to read regularly! Participating in book clubs also helps improve comprehension and critical thinking skills while providing a casual atmosphere to foster friendships. Since parents often attend book clubs with their kids, an added benefit is that you can also cultivate close-knit friendships with the other parents who are there!
Go on Field Trips with Your Homeschool Friends
It is kind of like killing two birds with one stone. You are spending time with your newfound homeschool friends, and you can count it towards your compulsory school attendance days. There really is no downside!
Have Play Dates at a Local Park
You can also go for a more chill vibe and head to a local park. Growing up, my mom would have each of us kids pack a lunch, and we would meet a family at the park. We would eat together. Then, the kids could play on the playground while the moms chatted. As a homeschooled kid, some of my favorite childhood memories came from these get-togethers.
Go on Hikes
Since we live in Colorado, why not take advantage of the lovely scenery and trails available to us? You can check out trails online to make sure they are suitable for the age groups involved, pack some snacks (the best part of hiking, am I right?), and then hit the trail! Some of our family’s favorites were St. Mary’s Glacier and Lair of the Bear.
Build Relationships Through Hospitality
Good, old-fashioned hospitality. Do not get me wrong; this is different from “entertaining,” which often involves fine china and scratchy Sunday-best clothes. Hospitality is more of a non-tangible environment than a physical one. It is having a family over for a simple meal, enjoying good conversations, playing group games, and just generally showing others that you care about them and want to know them better. So, skip the five-course meal, grill some burgers, and extend some old-fashioned hospitality.
Well, that is our list of ideas to get you started on making homeschool friends in Colorado. It is definitely not an exhaustive list, but hopefully, it will get the creative juices flowing, and you are now excited to jump in and make some new friends (for you and your kids). And if you do use any of the ideas in this list, we would love to know! Feel free to tell us about it in the comments below or tag us on social media (@chec_homeschool).
Looking to make homeschool friends in a state other than Colorado? Check out HomeschoolFreedom.com’s blog post from homeschool organizations nationwide!
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