LDS Support Groups

Park Days

Regular Attendance

Online Groups

Recommendations

LDS Homeschool Groups in California

But What About Socialization?

How to Start a Support Group

Membership Has Its Rewards

Do I Need a Homeschool Support Group?

You can homeschool without a support group, but there are a lot of benefits to belonging to one. For some women, belonging to a support group makes the difference between continuing to homeschool successfully and giving up.

If you have discussed homeschooling with anyone that isn't a homeschooler, you've probably already learned that the one thing everyone is worried about is your child's socialization. There are a lot of other activities that can provide social time and friends for your children, but homeschool group activities fill a unique niche for your children. When we found our homeschool group, my children were so excited to find out that they weren't the only Latter-day Saints that homeschooled! It was a relief to them to have homeschooling friends.

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LDS Support Groups

I began homeschooling in the early 1980's and homeschooled for several years before I met anyone else that homeschooled. At that time there was no internet to connect us. I didn't know how to find other homeschoolers. especially LDS ones. After a few months of searching, I was able to find a Christian group in my area and was excited to find out we weren't alone! We connected with a family near us that had children about the same ages as mine and enjoyed their company for a few weeks until the dreaded question, "So, where do you fellowship?"

When I nervously told her my religion, she asked me to leave her home immediately. I was astonished and wondered what I would tell my children. We never saw them again, and I began to think I would have to raise my kids to adulthood without knowing anyone else like ourselves.

One day at homemaking night, a member of another stake was visiting her sister in my ward and we sat at the same table. During a lull in conversation, one of the sisters said, "Oh Michele, Sidne (the visitor) also homeschools." The other ladies at the table were probably rolling their eyes, but I was hearing choirs of angels singing Hallelujah! She lived about 20-30 minutes away from me, but she invited me to join their newly formed LDS homeschool support group and I was so excited!

The first activity I went to was a Saturday family picnic. There were several new families there. I have no idea how they found out about the group! Some of the families were new to homeschooling, some had been doing it for a while. Some had older children and some had younger ones. They were all homeschooling for different reasons and used different methods, but they had some common goals and values. When I told people where I lived, they would say, "Wow, you drove a long way!" I didn't think 30 minutes was too far to drive to give my children and myself LDS homeschooled friends. I never could understand why they thought that was a big deal. We were on cloud nine!

What a wonderful experience that group was for us! It helped us homeschool in many ways. We got group discounts to lots of activities like Sea World, zoos, concerts, plays, the circus, museums and other destinations. We were able to do things that aren't feasible in a family like some sports, Halloween parties, Valentine exchanges, science fairs, talent shows and nights when grandparents and other extended family could come and see the work we'd been doing. We arranged group tours of nature centers, factories, local businesses and historical homes and missions.

Below is a list of LDS groups in California.

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Park Days

We have fond memories of all the activities, but perhaps the most valuable days were the park days when nothing at all was planned. I believe these are the most important function of support groups because this is when you have time to really support each other. When you're busy with field trips,co-op classes or other activities, there may not be time to connect, but at the park, the Moms (and sometimes, Dads) can discuss problems they may be having and get solutions and recommendations for curriculum, teaching hints, etc. When one is down, others would encourage her. When something went wrong, we had someone to discuss our problems with. When we didn't know how to teach something, we could ask others who had been there to suggest something. Our children made lasting friendships with people that had common values while getting exercise and developing the feeling of belonging. In our group, we helped each other through life-changing events like births, serious illnesses and even death. When my son got married, his homeschool support group friends were his groomsmen. The moms in our group have taken several trips to homeschool conventions together and had mom's retreats including slumber parties at homes and mountain cabin and even a cruise to Mexico! We built strong friendships and it all started on a simple unplanned park day.

Homeschooled children, especially as they get older, often feel very different when they don't know other homeschoolers. Moms can also feel isolated and inadequate, but having someone to discuss ideas with on a regular basis renews the passion and delight of homeschooling. The bonding that takes place from working and playing with like-minded people is immeasurable. You will probably form friendships that can help you through the most difficult challenges. Talking with like- minded friends is a great stress-reducer! Don't underestimate the value of park days.

If you are one of those older moms that has homeschooled for a while and doesn't feel the need for a homeschool group because you already have all the answers, it's your chance to give back! The new people need your example and their children need your children. You might be missing out on an important mentoring opportunity or preventing your children from finding that special best friend they've been looking for.

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Regular Attendance

If you have attended a local group a few times and stopped attending for any reason, I would encourage you to try again. It takes time to form quality friendships. You can't expect it to happen by attending once or twice a year. To get the full benefit, you have to attend regularly. If the group isn't exactly what you need, make suggestions or find another group. There are different types of support groups and each one may be run a little differently, but the important part is having regular contact with other homeschoolers. Attending support group activities may turn out to be the most important thing you do when you learn what has worked for other families and how to implement new ideas in your home. Be willing to make sacrifices to make it happen. Now that my youngest is grown and I look back on the twenty years in our support group, my wish is that all homeschoolers have that same opportunity.

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Online Groups

Perhaps you live in a rural area where support groups of any kind are not available. When I moved to California over 20 years ago, it was next to impossible to find other LDS homeschoolers. The Internet didn't exist then, so we turned to homeschool magazines and state-specific organizations to find local groups. This was a time-consuming process since the publications would take weeks to arrive in the mail and often the contact people had moved or circumstances changed. Sometimes a state organization did not feel that an LDS group fit the needs of their readers so would not list it at all.

It took years for me to find another LDS homeschooler in my county. I eventually found a group within 30 minutes of my house by word of mouth. My children were so relieved to find out that there were other people like us! Through that local group I met many of my best friends and experienced a lot of the treasured memories of my life. My children also met many of their best friends through the group. It would have been a great loss to our family if we had never made the effort to look for a local support group. Because of that, I have dedicated a lot of time and effort into connecting other LDS homeschoolers. In 1999, I started a statewide LDS email group as a way for LDS homeschoolers in California to find each other. In this group, we can discuss our personal situations with people in similar situations that we would never have been able to meet in person. What a unique opportunity that really is when we consider the difficulty of travel in ages past. We can become friends with people that live hundreds and even thousands of miles away! So even if you don't find a local group, you can still get the help you need online.

Message boards and email groups come in all sizes and varieties and each fills a specific need. It's important for local groups to have a way to disseminate information about park days and field trips, and local email groups are an easy, private way to do it. There are national and international email groups, which provide a larger pool for asking questions, and there are also groups that focus on specific situations or homeschool styles. Each type of group is important and many LDS homeschoolers choose to join several types of email groups. You can find a list of support groups on the National LDS Homeschool Association's website.

Below is a list of LDS homeschool support groups in California. If you know of others, please let me know.

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Recommendations

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LDS Homeschool Groups in California

Here is a list of LDS homeschool support groups in California of which I am aware. If you know about a group that would like to be added to this list, or if any of these groups is no longer functioning, please let me know so I can keep this list up to date.

Fresno County—Fresno County LDS Homeschoolers
Inland Empire Area—Word of Wisdom Inland Empire
Lodi area—Email Nephi's Schoolhouse
Orange County area— Liahona Home School Group
South Orange County area—SoCal-OC-LDS-Homeschoolers
Rancho Cucamonga area—Email Deena Ortiz
Redding area—Email Terrie Runolfson
Sacramento area—Email Susan Hammond
Sacramento/Elk Grove area—Email Dania Smith
Sacramento/Elk Grove area (youth group)—Email Anne Allen
Sacramento/Lincoln area—Email Elaine Davies
San Diego County—Email Kathy
San Diego North County area—Helaman Home Educators
San Diego North County area—Pioneer Academy
San Francisco Bay area—Email Deborah Kingdon
Yolo County area—Email Caryn