Making Your Own Tribe

When we first started out homeschooling, it was difficult to find a social group that met our needs, schedule and style of homeschooling. As I discuss in my book, in our area, the two largest homeschooling groups are also very Christian and require you to sign a statement of faith and meet a dress code to join. Neither group is welcoming of families that use a charter school or other public funds to homeschool. Since that didn't fit our belief system or style, we were left wandering a bit trying to find the right mix. We tested out several groups and they tested us. While we found one that works well philosophically, it's a thirty minute drive each way, making it not very useful for daily or weekly social interaction.

Our charter school has an actual school site, which is very convenient and helpful for some experiences. But we were still looking for that fun, casual group that we could plan activities, field trips and events with and still turn the kids loose at the park or just make a mess.

Enter Super Secret Science Club. My son's invention- a club of kids that like to do science experiments that is entirely invitation only. We are committed to secular science, once a month. Though we do have some members that are religious, they are not primarily homeschooling for religious reasons. I'm careful to note if any topic of the might be controversial to their belief system so they can decide whether or not to participate.

Where we could not find a tribe before, we have made our own. Our monthly science adventures have included classes on orienteering, squishy circuits, pollution and oil spills,  chemical entomology (that is bugs that do chemical stuff), field trips and more. Our last day for this school year was Messy Science. Mentos geysers, alka-seltzer rockets, hovercraft and a game of tag at the park.

If you can't find a group that meets your needs, make your own! While science was a natural fit for us, it might not work for you. Other groups we've met are doing book clubs, weekly poetry teas, park days and more. Make it as simple or as complex as your family needs. We've learned to keep it small for easier coordinating and to reach out to different businesses and organizations to help run our classes. Costs vary from $1-2 for supplies to $15 for a two hour class, depending on what we're doing any given month. I use a google doc to keep track of who is coming and and who has paid. Once you start, it's not nearly as difficult as you may think!