Wow, I’m Glad I Went to that Conference!

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This year I went to our annual homeschooling conference only because my teens wanted to attend and my friends had put so much effort into it.

It wasn’t something I really wanted to do.  After all, life is busy enough without taking an entire day off. I didn’t feel discouraged, so did not need encouragement; after homeschooling for 15 years, I did not need basic how-to-homeschool information; and I was relatively satisfied with our curriculum.  So why bother going?

Guess what?  The day was wonderful…as I had, deep down, known it would be. 

• I talked to old friends, the ones I see only a few times a year, and chatted with people I had met at previous conferences.
• My teens loved their sessions, and are now both reading Mere Christianity at the recommendation of one of the speakers.
• Mr 16. is not happy with Singapore’s New Additional Math which he’s been using for pre-calculus.  He and I had a chance to look into two math programs I had been wondering about, Teaching Textbooks  and Life of Fred.  Both look very interesting, but who can really evaluate something like that in 10 minutes?  It’s time to find some detailed reviews and comparisons.
• I was inspired to focus on nature study.  We always used to live adventurously and go out exploring nature, but that somehow disappeared from our lives.  It’s time to change.  Even if a fear of bears keeps us from venturing into the wilderness, there’s so much else we could be doing!
• And who doesn’t need reminders to pray?  To pray constantly, specifically, and with thankfulness?
• Most of my friends and relatives read a lot.  My online friends read, too.  So it was a startling reality check to meet a wise, enthusiastic, thoroughly alive lady who made it a point to read two books a year. Yes, two.  And her Bible, of course….   
• In the middle of one of the sessions, I suddenly realized that this conference was a holiday for me.  I shed layers of duties and responsibilities, and just focussed on enjoying the day.
• Our keynote speaker was a public school teacher turned homeschooler.  She listed many elements of school teacher training and showed how a homeschool mom is ahead of a school teacher on every single point.  We may not have teacher’s credentials, but we have everything we need to teach.  She also encouraged us to take as many professional development days as public school teachers do; homeschooling moms need to be refreshed and to keep learning too.
• I met someone who owns 87 first edition Henty novels and now writes children’s history books himself. 
• It turns out that HSLDA sells a lot of fascinating books.  I just pay my dues and occasionally call HSLDA for help, but I’ve never looked at their books.
• Our young writer, Miss 14, met another young writer, a real life one instead of a bloggy one. 

Although I didn’t want to go to our conference this year, I’m so glad I went!  I encourage you to attend your conference too.  Take a professional development day and enjoy whatever God brings to you.

–Find more homeschool encouragement at the Carnival of Homeschooling and the Hip Homeschool Hop.