Should I Have a Homeschool Group?

Why Doesn’t Timberdoodle Require Groups?

You may have noticed that some homeschool curricula require families to form groups, take turns teaching, and meet weekly to stay on track together. Maybe you’ve even wondered why Timberdoodle groups aren’t popping up everywhere.

The simple answer is: you don’t need one. Timberdoodle designs its kits to stand alone. They’re not teacher-intensive, so you can confidently use them independently—and you likely will!

Setting Your Own Pace—The Good

If you customize your kit or adjust your schedule to fit your life, you free your child from being tied to another child’s progress. One of the most significant benefits of homeschooling is allowing your child to move at his own pace, whether speeding ahead in some areas or taking more time in others.

Setting Your Own Pace—The Bad

That said, isolating yourself completely from other homeschoolers isn’t ideal. Without a community, you might miss the reassurance that your child’s attention span is perfectly normal or the insight that he might need extra support.

A community can also provide positive peer pressure. If you’re a “we’ll get to that next week” kind of person, having a friend ask, “Did you try that yet?” can be the gentle nudge you need to stay on track.

Setting Your Own Pace—The Ugly

Humans thrive on connection, and isolation creates challenges, such as families focusing only on themselves or children struggling to interact with others. Recent years have highlighted these effects in our society.

We need each other to thrive. Community helps us flourish—not just academically but emotionally and socially as well.

Should I Start a Homeschool Group?

If you have the bandwidth, why not? As you begin the process, think about your goals so that you prioritize the outcomes that are important to you. What do you hope your homeschool group will do for you? Here are some ideas:

• Spend time with people you respect.
• Invest in your community—kids, parents, or both.
• Introduce your kids to people with different backgrounds and perspectives.
• Learn new skills together.
• Build real-life friendships beyond social media.
• Collaborate on challenging parts of homeschooling.
• Encourage broader reading and exploration.
• Get outside more.

Now, you can create a format that works for your family.

Alternative Community Opportunities

A formal educational group isn’t the only way to find community. Some other venues that might serve your family and those around you include:

• Park meetups: Choose a different local park each week and meet at lunchtime. Use a group text or email to keep it casual and inclusive.
• Hiking groups: Join a local Facebook group that organizes kid-friendly hikes and attend as often as possible.
• Extracurriculars: Commit to activities like ballet, karate, or swim lessons.
• Volunteer opportunities: Look for programs like therapeutic riding or after-school tutoring that your child could support.
• Special interest groups: Find a class or club that aligns with your child’s interests, such as cooking, theater, or robotics.

Choose what works best for your family, and get started. You might find that building community becomes one of the most rewarding parts of your homeschooling routine.