Riding the Wave:
Imagine being able to share your joys and frustrations with other
homeschooling parents whenever you have time. They are always available,
whenever you need them. You won't need to get a babysitter, and you won't
need to miss out on any family time. All you need to do is connect to the
Internet.
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While local support groups are limited in size by the number of homeschoolers in the area, Internet groups can fluctuate in size from just a few people to thousands. You can find groups dedicated to specific curriculums (i.e., Weaver, Math-U-See, Learning Adventures, etc.) or for specific geographical areas, like a state or county. Find a group and spend some time reading the messages for a few weeks. If you can't seem to find what you are looking for, you can always start your own group.
Starting a group
Hosting your own group is easier than you think, but don't expect it to become active overnight. The u-weaver list that I own has been around for four years, and there are close to 400 members onit. With an average of 25-plus posts each day, it's considered an active list. Another list I own has only 40 members and it takes one month to get that many posts. Does this mean that one list is more successful than the other? That depends on what you are looking for.
Cindy Johns, who homeschools her two children near Lima, Ohio, decided to start her own support group on the Internet when she was unable to join a local group. Kaleidoscapes discussion forum was created in 1995, and today it has more than 1,000 users on a daily basis. Johns enjoys the camaraderie of her fellow homeschoolers, and credits the survival of Kaleidoscapes to those who use the forum.
"What goes around comes around," says Johns. "And it's a warm,generous and caring circle to be a part of."
Ronda Smith, a mother of six from New Bern, North Carolina, belongs to an e-mail list of about 12 people that started out as a bulletin board group. When problems arose with the bulletin board, they switched to sending personal e-mails, with copies going to everyone on the list. They eventually set up a group with a popular list service. "It does go down now and then," says Smith about the list service. "But (it) does not have the problems with servers and congestion that boards do. It also has the definite advantage of being more private and more access controllable."
Not everyone is able to be a list, or board, owner. Besides the time it takes to get the word out about a group, there is the commitment it takes to keep an eye on it. Spam (unwanted advertising) will need to be deleted from boards, and Trolls (those people who post controversial topics just to cause trouble) will need to be monitored or removed. "I used to take it too personally when trolls posted at Kaleidoscapes," says Johns. She's learned to ignore these attacks and promptly cleans the posts off the forum with the help of her board monitors. This constant monitoring is time consuming, but a necessary part of being a board or list owner.
Staying active
Whether you choose to get your support from a bulletin board community or through an e-mail list, you'll need to keep a few things in mind. A support group is made up of a variety of people and not everyone will share the same views. Common courtesies, like not using all capital letters, staying on-topic and respecting other peoples' opinions, are the backbone of any on-line support group. If you are the owner of the list/board, try posting weekly topics to get people involved in the discussion. Find other lists/boards that are similar and ask the owner if you can post about your group. If your list/board is an extension of a local group, write up a short description for the group's newsletter. Contact the National Home Education Network, the American Homeschool Association and Home Education Magazine to be listed in their support group databases.
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Share your enthusiasm with the other members, let them know that you have the same questions and struggles, and offer any encouragement that you can. Whether your Internet group is an extension of your local group, a specialized e-mail list or a bulletin board for homeschoolers, it's easier than ever to get the support you need. There's a whole new world of support out there for you!
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About the author: Kelly Huckaby is The HOMEWriter. Her goal as a writer is to be an encouragement to mothers. She and her husband live in Wisconsin with their five always-homeschooled children. You can find more of Kelly's articles by visiting her HOMEWriter site http://unofficial.weaverpages.com/hwlist.html or by contacting her HOMEWriter@Hotmail.com.
