Preparing for a Homeschool Convention From months before to packing.

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I attended my first homeschool convention back in 2003. I walked in, and just about walked out, but Amy, from RaisingArrows, must of held my hand pretty tight.

That vendor hall was huge and all those choices and the number of people, and colors, noise, sights and sounds…Yep, Amy had her hands full that weekend. We both went without our husbands that year, so we walked through together mostly and around half way through that second day, I was finally getting the hang of it. A little late considering there were only three hours of the convention left.

See, that can be the problem when attending conventions. They can be overwhelming and even daunting. However, those of us who are “seasoned” can help you out. I have now gone to one convention every year for the past nearly 9 years. Even went to one of these with six children and a mommy’s helper. That was something I don’t ever plan to do again. lol I like to have my dear husband with me.

First, talk to other who have been to the convention you are planning to go to.

• Are there vendor hall only times? Take advantage of these, but know it will be crowded during those times.
• Is there going to be times that the vendor hall is closed?
• Is there a children’s program? What ages?
• How expensive are the area restaurants?
• Motels?

After you have kind of figured out a bit about the convention you will be attending, it is time to start planning your days at the convention.

There are certain steps that many of us take before heading off to those wonderful homeschool conventions. Why?

• We spend precious dollars to get there, and we want to get the most from it.
• We spend our precious time there, and some of us leave our gardens alone for a whole weekend.
• We need to buy curriculum, but what? Walking into convention hall without a plan is like turning your child loose in Toys R Us with your credit card.
• We want to attend the sessions that are most likely going to minister most to our family.
• Figure out your meals and budget before you go. We take our meals for local conventions, but at the one I will be flying into, I will be eating out the whole weekend.

My steps to getting ready for the convention:

• Save money for travel, food, registration and hotel.
• Arrange for babysitting. Whether your children attend the children’s program or you take a mommy’s helper or both.
• Put together a list of curriculum to look through.
• Read a preview of the workshops and plan which to go to and which to buy a cd to listen to later. (Get a schedule made)
• Plan where you will eat your meal, or what you can take.
• Get a packing list together, so you can mark things off as you go. For weeks, I think about toys for my toddler. Lightweight, quiet and long entertainment value. Also, you don’t want to forget an extra pair of slacks for your husband—ask me how I know…
• You will need a notebook and pencil to keep a few notes on.
• I am taking my laptop, so I can compare curriculum prices, and other items of interest.
• Clean out the van.
• Pack so that what you need at the convention is easily able to be grabbed upon arrival, because you won’t be checking into your hotel until later in the day. You don’t want to have to go through the entire van to get one or two items.

I have talked about packing for a convention before. My packing for flying and going with out children to Teach Them Diligently is a lot lighter. However, I will be taking several outfits for myself, as I am staying extra days to spend with family in the area. I am already working on my packing list.

I also put together a homeschool convention notebook. Right now, I have may pages printed, but because I am flying, trying to figure out the slimmest and lightest way to carry the pages. I don’t like the way the pages turn in a folder that has prongs, and I am afraid of losing pages with a pocket folder, but a binder is likely to be bulky and heavy, I am leaning towards a clipboard and pocket folder or comb binding my pages and clipboard.

The steps you take before the convention can help you have the best and most productive time, gaining the encouragement and support that you need to continue on your homeschool journey.

Please note, affiliate links are used on this blog. If you click on a link in a post, it may be an affiliate link. If it is, I will earn a small commission, if you purchase some through the link. Thank you for helping to support our homeschool. See my full disclosure policy for more information.