Homeschool parents, or those considering homeschooling, often wonder if they're the only ones in their area. With the latest Department of Education study citing over 1 million homeschooling families, that is not likely. Finding other homeschoolers, however, may not always be easy. You need to know where to look.
One common place where you might find other homeschoolers are local churches. While not every homeschooler is Christians, and it obviously isn't a requirement, many homeschoolers are. Even if you aren't a regular church-goer, you might consider attending some services to see if there are other homeschoolers there. Of course this can apply to a synagogue or mosque as well.
Libraries are another good place to seek homeschoolers. Many homeschooling parents use the local library as a source for learning materials. If you go to the library and see children there during normal school hours, it's very probable they are homeschooled children, and a parent is probably nearby. You could also ask the librarian if she knows of any homeschoolers. Most likely she will because they are probably some of her best patrons.
Try bringing your kids to the park during normal school hours; you may run into another homeschooling family there enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. They may even be doing something to related to school projects. In any case, local parks are a great place to find homeschoolers.
Keep your eyes open while shopping at the grocery store; many homeschoolers use real life activities like grocery shopping to teach rather than just depending on books. If you see children standing around the produce isle with calculators, it's likely they're working on their math lessons.
Of course, the Internet is a great place to find homeschoolers in your area. Try doing a searchs for "homeschool groups (your county or city name)" As there are homeschoolers in every state of the union, you'll almost certainly find some close by. If for some reason you don't find anyone locally, you can still find support online through any number of Yahoo homeschooling groups.
As you look for homeschooling families locally, don't be afraid to approach parents that you see out and about during regular school hours. Most homeschooling parents are used to being asked why their children aren't in school anyway!. They won't be offended, and asking questions is a wonderful way to find other homeschoolers, not to mention just meeting new acquaintances. Chances are very good that you may find there are more homeschoolers in your area than you first thought.
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