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| Home Education Support Groups |  There are many home educators' support groups around the world, particularly in the USA and UK. This is a good way of getting to know other families, finding out about local regulations or facilities, and for your children to mix with others of different background.
Reasons to want a support group
Think about why you would like to join such a group. Is it for the reason that other people seem to gain so much from the support of other home educating families? Is it because you're feeling isolated or because you would like support and encouragement as you think about curriculum or other issues? All these reasons are good for wanting a support group.
Conversely, if you are just feeling that your children 'ought' to be socializing a bit more, or that the children they meet already aren't very pleasant, you're likely to be disappointed. Home schooled children may not suffer the peer pressure and other stresses of school, but they are basically normal children: there is no immediate guarantee that your child will mix well with others merely because they don't go to school.
Once children feel that they would like some friends, the best starting place is an activity group based around their interests - whether sporting, musical, craft-related, helping out at the local stables, joining the Scouts, or whatever appeals. Adults don't socialize with people the same age as they are, but with those who share their interests. If children want friends, they are most likely to find them amongst others who share a particular interest.
Still, there is a great deal to be gained from a home educators' support group, so if you feel that you have something to offer, and would like to learn from other home educators, consider starting a group of your own.
Start a home education support group
If you're starting one, you can decide what type you want. Some like small gatherings for the parents to chat and the children to play; this could be appropriate if you have toddlers or young children. You can meet in a home with plenty of toys, or, if there is lots of interest, somewhere like a church hall. This is one of the easiest kinds of group to start if you know of other home educating, or potentially home educating, parents with young children. Also this is a good way of helping other parents to make up their minds how their children will be educated, if you make it open to all with pre-school age children.
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