Biting the meetup bullet

[celticdragonfly]

We're planning to homeschool our two younger kids. We're still in the "ramping up" stage, as Maggie's not quite 3. I'm working on reading lots of books on it, and I want to start meeting other homeschooling families. So in a spurt of bravery, I just signed up as organizer for the Fort Worth homeschooling Meetup. There was a flurry of "X meetup of yours has no organizer and therefore no meetings, would you like to be organizer?" emails for a bunch of the meetups I'm theoretically on some time ago. If anybody else was going to take it, they would have by now.

But I'm terrified. I'm an introvert, and this is so an extrovert's job, plus I'm new here and don't have any homeschooling friends here. I'm not sure where to put the meetings or what should go on at them. (Knitting meetups that I go to are easy - we just "stitch and bitch" - this feels tougher)

But if I'm going to meet other homeschooling families and work on developing a community for us, looks like I'm going to have to do the work. Like that old saw about necessity being the mother of invention, and I'm a mother, too.

I'll certainly take advice. Anyone?

Comments

[technomom]

Good for you!

I'm a dreadful introvert, but I did start a homeschooling group years ago when we were getting started. It has been folded in to a larger group now, and is still going. We didn't have Meetup.com back then, which would have made things easier.

I'd suggest joining some local lists and posting notices about the Meetups. There are groups out there just for people who are running HSing groups - I'll find links for you if you want them. Actually, I think they're at http://www.nhen.org/

Joining some of the not-local lists might not be a bad idea, too, to get ideas. The UU homeschooling list that I'm on isn't just for UUs, and is full of marvelous people. I'd love to have you join us there :-)
http://lists.uua.org/mailman/listinfo/huuh-l

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

How busy is that list? I have lists I'm not keeping up with as it is. I may have to quit a few.

[technomom]

It's a bit chatty, but I find it pretty easy to skim when I'm busy.

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

Good for you! If you want something done, you sometimes have to do it yourself. I think, frankly, if you just offer the space to host the meetings, you can let the other members worry about topics, or let it just be an idea-swap/playdate.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

I'm just trying to figure out WHERE to host the meetings. Generally I'd say a bookstore or coffeehouse, but I have to plan for somewhere with kids.