Local homeschooling support groups are the backbone of the homeschooling movement. That’s where families find the face-to-face encouragement, help, mentoring, field trips, co-ops, curriculum sharing and close friendships with likeminded families.

Support groups dot the nation, in every state and locality. (Find one in your area HERE.) They range in size from a few couples meeting in a home to large groups meeting in rented or donated facilities. And they range in structure, from informal discussions to invited guest speakers. Some are formed simply by moms and pops inviting friends to a meeting at their home; others are organized into 501(c)3s with boards of directors.

Regardless of their size or structure, local support groups are the lifeblood of homeschooling because they minister in person, every day, at the local level. There will be days when your kids will be in total bliss because they had such a wonderful day homeschooling your grandkids, and there will be days when they want to send your grandkids on the first rocket ship to Mars. That’s life! You experienced the same thing as a parent, so multiply that for your kids as they teach and disciple your grandkids hour after hour, day after day after day.

Your kids may already be involved in a local homeschooling support group. If they aren’t, we would encourage them to join one. And you to join with them, or at least visit meetings or events, depending upon the group’s rules. Large metro areas generally have multiple groups. Visit them all and decide which one is the best “fit.” Find out what their rules allow. Can grandparents join? Can they visit? Can they serve by organizing field trips or speaking to the group on an area of expertise they have?

Just to whet your appetite, four valuable aspects of a local support group are:

1. The face-to-face encouragement, help and mentoring mentioned above. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of this. Many families who have successfully homeschooled their children from birth through adulthood were at one time ready to give up, but pressed on through the encouragement and support of other homeschooling families.

2. Email lists in which members can get answers to dilemmas almost instantly as they arise between meetings. Email discussions range from questions about favorite curriculum; to notices of events, field trips or contests; to discussions on friendly or unfriendly pending homeschool legislation; to solicitations for ideas on how to keep toddlers occupied while teaching older children. It’s like having your own personal advisors at your fingertips! It’s also a great place for grandparents to learn more about the day-to-day life of other homeschooling families, because we ALL do it differently! That’s the beautify of home education — listening to all the ideas, and then tailoring our educational style and content to God’s design for each child.

3. Field trips of all kinds! This is an educational pot of gold. Children learn best by doing and seeing, not by reading about it in a textbook. Support groups organize field trips of all kinds, from behind-the-scenes tours of a veterinary clinic to theater productions to actually putting the kids to work in various departments of a local grocery store. This is education by EXPERIENCE, something a book cannot do. Grandparents can get involved by accompanying their grandchildren or even organizing a field trip for the group!

4. Prayer support of other families who are doing the same thing, whether newbys, halfway through, or veterans who have homeschooled their children to adulthood. Everyone needs prayer, whether it’s been a good day, or a challenging day, to redirect our focus to Christ, and our dependence upon Him. This is one of the best ways grandparents can support their children and grandchildren!

So, grandparents — tell your children about local support groups! And then visit them with your children. Find out what level of involvement they have for grandparents. It may not even have occurred to them to involve grandparents. YOU could be the first grandparent mentor to your grandkids’ local homeschool support group! Check it out!