2 Great Reasons to Attend a Homeschool Convention

Homeschool convention

Where does the time go? It’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that my friend Karen (the other half of Simply Charlotte Mason) will be graduating her two youngest children this year.

It’s a big commitment to homeschool for the long haul. As I talk with other homeschooling moms, I’m finding that the two main things most of us need are more know-how and more encouragement. Both can be found at your local homeschool convention.

Know-how and encouragement—two great reasons to attend.

For Your Children’s Sake

Now, lest you think it’s selfish to spend time and money on yourself (because most moms struggle with that thought), read what Charlotte Mason said about both reasons and how they will ultimately benefit our children.

  1. Equip yourself for your children’s sake.

    “That the mother may know what she is about, may come thoroughly furnished to her work, she should have something more than a hearsay acquaintance with the theory of education, and with those conditions of the child’s nature upon which such theory rests” (Vol. 1, p. 3).

    Being “thoroughly furnished” for our work as parents and teachers benefits our children. The more knowledge we can gain—about working with different types of brains and personalities, and ideas for discipling our children, and resources that will help us reach our goals, and what those goals should be—the better equipped we are to do our sacred job well. Learning more of what you are “about” is an investment, and your children will reap the dividends.

  2. Refresh yourself for your children’s sake.

    “Frequent change of thought, and the society of other people, make the mother all the fresher for her children” (Vol. 1, p. 18).

    When we deal with the same issues and challenges day after day within the same four walls according to the same routine day after day, it’s easy to develop tunnel vision, or maybe I should say “tunnel thinking.” Our minds can get stuck in a rut and lose sight of the big picture.

    Spending a day or two in the company of other like-minded parents, in completely different surroundings, feeding your mind on fresh ideas, and enjoying some light-hearted laughter (not to mention not having to cook for the day!) will do wonders toward restoring your vision. You will return home refreshed, and your children will notice the difference in your spirit.

Attending a homeschool convention is not a selfish thing to do. Quite the contrary. It is a way to equip and refresh yourself for your children’s sake.

Free Homeschool Training Every Week

Sign up to receive the Simply Charlotte Mason weekly podcast and stay encouraged on your homeschool journey!

Share

19 Comments

  3. Great post! I will be attending convention this year, but I’m disappointed that SCM won’t be there (NC). I enjoyed meeting Sonya last year and browsing through the booth; it won’t be the same without you there this year!

    • We have two conventions listed for May 24-26. Sonya will be speaking at the California Homeschool Convention. At the other convention, CHEA in Wisconsin, we’ll have our booth, but Sonya will not be speaking.

  5. Thanks for coming to CHEA in WI. I will definitely go just to have a chance to shop at your booth there.

    • We usually give preference to conventions that invite us to speak so be sure to let your local convention organizers know. They usually love to know about speakers their attendees would like to hear.

  7. I hope you will have a booth at ICHE in Naperville, IL. I can’t wait to see what is new!!!!

      • So no booth either? If not, will you have some kind of youtube of new products or something so that I will know what I can’t live without?

        Thanks,
        Erin

        • No, not this year. Sonya was invited to speak at the NICHE convention in Iowa, which is the same week as ICHE. Unfortunately, we can’t be in two places at once.

          Our new products since last convention season are:

          My Book of Centuries
          Handicrafts Made Simple DVD series
          Language Arts the Charlotte Mason Way audio workshop
          Spelling and Handwriting Wisdom audio workshop
          Lessons from the Valley audio workshop
          Six new Picture Study Portfolios
          Delightful Handwriting
          Hymns in Prose
          Outdoor Secrets audiobook
          The Story of Thomas A. Edison
          Only a Dog

  8. I will be traveling with a couple other moms to the convention in Long Beach, California, to hear Sonia speak, and we were wondering if you knew her speaking schedule yet. This would help us know which day(s) to plan on being there. And……Thank you for coming out to our neck of the woods!!!

    • We’re still waiting for the convention to post the schedule. As soon as we know when Sonya’s workshops are, we’ll update our speaking schedule page.

      • Does Sonia have any of her workshops on DVD? I would love to hear “learning with Living Books”.

  9. Will you be in the exhibit hall? I would love the chance to look through your books and purchase for next year!

Comments are closed.