I Attended 16 Homeschool Conventions! 10 Reasons Why You Should Attend Next Year!

I am not going to beat around the bush. I have one point. I seriously want you to rearrange your budget and calendar and attend a homeschool convention.

Why, you ask? Because you will be blessed!

I have 10 fabulous reasons why you should get in on the event of the year for homeschool families!

Plan to go to a homeschool convention because….

Reason# 1 You and your kids will discover that you are not alone and you are NOT crazy!

Even if you don’t attend one workshop, visit one vendor booth, or talk to one person, you will experience a fact that just might help you get through the next homeschool year. You. are. not. alone. I stood in the center of the convention hall and watched hundreds of homeschool families smiling and walking. I heard the clamor and chatter of a thousand new homeschool ideas rise in the vendor hall. I felt the energy, the passion, and the dedication of parents revving up for the next school year. What a fabulous mental picture to take home with you and revisit on dark doldrum days when you ask yourself, “Am I crazy to homeschool my kids?”

This isn’t just for you. Your kids need to experience it too! Who likes to be the odd man out? No one. A homeschool convention can do wonders for a child’s vision of home education.

Reason# 2 Homeschool Convention Leaders Care About You and Your Family!

These folks are dedicated to your success. Their passion is you. I met many leaders on our tour. They have a drive to serve. I was impressed by each leader’s commitment to put their own life on hold to host a convention. Many sleepless nights and prayer goes into coordinating a convention. The devil is in the details and these leaders don’t shirk back.

Reason# 3 Vendors Care About You and Your Family!

Many of the vendors are homeschool families like yourself. They have years of experience and are willing to field questions even if it’s not about their product. It wasn’t unusual to see a vendor walk an attendee to another booth just to make sure they got the right resource. Of course they have to make a living, but I can assure you, no vendor is making enough to live in Tahiti on the beach and sip Martinelli’s. You wouldn’t believe some of these vendor’s business stories. Talk about God’s faithfulness! Most have sacrificed much to serve homeschoolers.

On a local note, you will also get to meet some of your local homeschool supply stores. When the convention is over, they are still in your community waiting for you in case you need more curriculum or some encouragement.

These businesses are in it for the ministry. You are what keeps them going!

Reason# 4 You can actually handle the curriculum you are considering!

Amazon can not deliver this one! It is so nice to be able to thumb through the pages of a textbook you have been eyeing in a catalog or online. You can make faster decisions when you get to see what you’re buying. Homeschool conventions are the place to discover the perfect curriculum fit for your child.

Reason# 5 There are some awesome workshops!

I was amazed at the variety of workshops offered. There was something for everyone and I mean everyone. Even if you pick up one idea that can make your homeschool year that much better, isn’t it worth the price of admission? Many of the conventions have excellent children’s and teens’ programs. Our teenage daughter BusyGirl loved hearing from speakers who challenged her walk with the Lord and strengthened her Christian worldview.

Reason# 6 Your faith in God will get stronger!

Of course, that is provided you attend a Christian based homeschool convention. We did, (all 16 of them) and we were blessed because of it. Our faith was boldly challenged through the speakers’ messages. We received plenty of food for thought that drove us back to God’s Word and prayer. I think this is probably the best benefit of attending a homeschool convention.

Reason# 7 You will be challenged!

You will change for the better. Prepare yourself to grow. Homeschool conventions are a place to put a pause on life and reevaluate….EVERYTHING! Stuff that I’m doing that’s not working in our homeschool gets dumped and replaced with new. Stuff that is working gets polished and shined to be used again the following year.

Reason# 8 You will enjoy the diversity in homeschool families!

You will not agree with every viewpoint, method or ideology that’s presented. That’s the point! We come together to glean new ideas and new ways of doing life as a homeschool family. I can assure you no one has cooties, and no one has all the answersI have stuffed my idea-bag full of homeschool tips from un-schoolers, Charlotte Mason peeps, classical ed families, Mennonites, Baptists, and those eclectic mamas to name a few.

Reason# 9 You get to meet your favorite speakers, authors, and bloggers!

I have to admit, I got a little star struck this season. I met speakers like Heidi St. John, Lee Binz, Hal and Melanie Young, Carol Barnier, Davis and Rachel Carman and Kath Kuhl. I met Cathy Duffy, yes Cathy Duffy, the one you never buy a curriculum unless you read her review. I met my some of my favorite bloggers in person, Michele Krynicki, Jennifer Janes and Heather Laurie just to name a few. I met authors of curriculum, Linda Hobar from Mystery of History, and the Notgrass family. I met popular fiction authors, Brock Eastman, Chuck Black, Susan Marlow, and Shawn Lamb.

To read their work is one thing, to meet or hear them speak in person is another. Truly it’s a homeschool convention highlight.

Reason# 10 You realize you CAN do this thing called homeschooling!

“Thank you,” a tired mama told me. “I walked into your workshop hopeless, but I am leaving encouraged and filled with hope for the next homeschooling year.”

We all need the courage to take the next steps in our journey. Homeschool conventions are encouragement on steroids that will help inoculate you with hope for the coming year.

I do hope you will make plans to attend.

See you there!