The thought of attending a homeschool convention can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time. With the many things to see, hear, and experience, it can be daunting, even if you’ve attended for several years. Team CHEA has gathered the following hints and tips for getting the most out of CHEA’s Parenting & Homeschool Convention. We hope these are helpful as you prepare to join us for a weekend to encourage and equip you wherever you are in your homeschool journey. Plan ahead Look over the entire schedule from Thursday through Saturday and first mark the things that are absolutely essential for where you are in your homeschool journey. Then mark the things that are important, followed by those that would be good, but not necessary. You can also x out things that definitely don’t apply. For instance, you don’t need to attend the “Delighting in the Early Years” workshop if you only have high schoolers. This method will help you focus and make sure you hit the crucial parts. The full list of workshops and speakers and exhibitors will be on the website about a month before the Convention. Use the same methodology with those aspects of the Convention as well. Look at the map of the campus that will be on our website to get yourself familiar with the layout, parking, etc. Exhibit Hall Ask lots of questions and don’t feel pressured to purchase. They genuinely care and want to help you determine if their product or service works for your family. Go through the entire Exhibit Hall, making sure to hit every aisle, and ask questions and make notes, but then purchase on your second walk through. If there is a booth that you know you need to spend extra time at, plan to visit it during the extended lunch break, or skip a session and get the recording later. If your kids are with you, let them help pick out some of their curriculum. Narrow it down to a couple and then let them look at both and decide which they’d rather do. Workshops There are so many fabulous speakers and topics, you will find that you can’t attend every one that you want. Mark which ones you think are more important to attend in person and which one you can get the recording for later. Volunteer as a “Workshop Host” for a session you wanted to attend anyway and then use the MP3 recording you earned for the other session you wanted to attend. Ways to Enjoy Make it a date weekend with your spouse. Spend time together praying for your family and your homeschool direction for the next year. Make it a family affair. Have your kids enjoy Child and/or Teen Con while you and your hubby attend some sessions together and “divide and conquer” on others. But also get some time to yourself at the Mom’s Night Out while they have fun at the Dads & Kids Game Night. Make it a girls’ trip. Gather your closest friends who also homeschool and enjoy time together in the car as well as throughout the weekend. Moms Night Out will be an especially fun time together. Regardless of which option you choose, take advantage of the housing options (on or off campus) and the meal plans at the yummy Biola Café (three meals included with each night’s stay on campus and tickets available (strongly recommend you prepurchase!) for those staying off campus). Miscellaneous Tips Several people recommended you make sure you hold on to your program to refer back to which sessions you wanted the recordings for and which exhibitors you wanted to follow up with or go back to their website to order in the future. Wear comfortable shoes! Also, wear layers to be comfortable in changing temperatures and bring a refillable water bottle as there are water stations in each building. Have fun! Whether you attend alone, with your spouse, your entire family, or with friends, this is a time to spend with like-minded people, fellowship, meet someone new, and ask all your questions. Iron sharpens iron; let those with more experience sharpen you, and allow those just starting out to glean from your wisdom too!
