Ending the school year means it is time to begin preparing for a new one!  We homeschooled "solo" this last year but found we missed some of the joys of co-oping.  We also found that we did NOT miss the hassles that came along with a large co-op. 

Our group had tried to start out right, with prayer, discussion, written policy and procedures we gleaned from other successful groups.  However, we were not prepared for having to confront major problems within the group.  By the end of the school year, we had all become so exhausted with just a handful of "high-maintenance" moms who seemed intent on creating strife, that the majority of us were ready to quit entirely once we'd completed our responsibilities. 

As I've looked back over the past two years, I  have realized there were many times we were simply afraid to confront and afraid to hold everyone accountable.  We made excuses for behavior.  We "wimped out" which allowed the problems to continue.  I wonder if that is common amongst homeschooling co-ops?

Over this last homeschooling year, I noticed that one of our ladies teamed up with another mom to form a mini co-op.  They share the same values and enjoyed using the same curriculum.  Their children got along well.

I set up an appointment with these moms to discuss their latest learning adventure.  Both agreed that the mini co-op was much easier to handle.  One mom is more creative, the other more organized.  Their strengths were different, as were their weaknessess.  Both needed flexibility in their schedules, so the mini co-op seems to be a perfect fit.

I've discussed this with my husband and children, as well as with the other family I think we would work with the best.  As we move forward, choosing what to study, when we want to meet, and how to plan the first 9 weeks, we will continue with prayer and plenty more discussion!    If nothing else, we'll learn a bit more about what works and doesn't work for our family!

If others out there have suggestions, please feel free to share!  I'd much rather learn from YOUR experience before getting too far into this adventure!