Keys to a Successful Homeschool Convention Experience (Part 4)

After Your Homeschool Convention

Hopefully, you enjoyed your time at the homeschool convention. Now that you’re back home, there’s so much to think about: what the speakers said, what you saw in the vendor hall, what you bought and how you want to use it with your children.

Before too much time passes, go through the big stack of papers you brought back. Weed out the sales flyers you don’t need, and file those you may want to refer to in the future. Add the catalogs to your collection; you’ll want to refer to them in the future when your child finishes a book or program and you need ideas for what to do next.

Think about the speakers whose sessions you attended. What will you do differently in your homeschool because of what you learned from them? Were there some who were especially helpful? You’ll want to remember their names for future conventions.

What about the convention itself? Was it well-organized? Was it worth the money you spent to attend it? If you were not happy with the convention, you can always attend a different one in your state, or in a nearby state, next time. Whether you were pleased or displeased with the convention, let the convention organizers know. They need input from attendees so they know how to proceed in organizing future conventions. Often, they will include a survey form in the convention program for just this purpose.

Hopefully, by attending the convention, you came away with renewed enthusiasm for homeschooling. How can you keep that feeling alive long after the convention is over? Listen to the recorded sessions when you’re in the car. Read books and magazines about homeschooling. Find a support group (if you haven’t already done so), attend the meetings and volunteer to run at least one group activity per year. Being with like-minded people is the surest way to keep up your energy and enthusiasm for homeschooling.

Next year, when that convention brochure turns up in your mailbox, you’ll find a new group of speakers and sessions that you’ll want to hear. By then, with another year’s worth of homeschooling under your belt, you’ll have an even better idea of how to make your homeschool convention experience a good one.

(Excerpted from The Imperfect Homeschooler’s Guide to Homeschooling. Order direct from Cardamom Publishers and get a free 111-page eBook with your purchase. )

Entire series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

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