I love going to the homeschool convention every year. I use this time to relax and recharge myself for the rest of the year. But not everybody feels this way. Many new homeschoolers leave the convention feeling overwhelmed and anxious. I have got some tips to help you through this convention season.
1. Do some background work at home before you go. Does the convention have a website? If so, spend some time figuring out what you want to see. Look at the vendor list. Check out their websites. Make a list of your must see vendors and make it a priority to visit their booths. Look over the speaker list. Make a list of all the speakers or sessions you don't want to miss. Make a schedule for yourself so you don't get lost in the vendor hall and forget to attend that "can't be missed" session.
2. Find a convention partner. I personally like to find a group of friends. We make a whole weekend out of it. By sharing a hotel room, it also cuts down on costs. It is a great time to laugh, joke and plan together. We also can share stories and it helps me to realize that others share the same ups and downs that I have. I know other people that love to attend with their spouse. They make it a date weekend. They have time to be a couple with no kids around. They get to go out to eat at real restaurants with menus and waiters. And if you have to take your kids, some conventions offer childcare programs, so you won't be distracted during your sessions.
3. Print out address labels. Maybe you have some freebies stuck in a drawer. You know those labels that the charities send to you, now you have a use for them. If you don't have any, buy some Avery blank labels and print your own. The advantage to printing your own is that you can add your e-mail address. Every vendor will have a place to sign up for an email list. Often times this will also put you in for a prize drawing. It is so much easier to slap an address label on that paper than it is to write all your contact information over and over again.
4. Get a rolling cart. The first year that I attended the convention without a baby in a stroller, I realized I had no place to carry all of my stuff. Now I have a nice one that folds up flat when I am not using it. Get something that is sturdy. You'll want to have this to toss any handouts or catalogs into. And if you are buying curriculum, you don't want to carry it around on your shoulders.
5. Bring water bottles and healthy snacks. Convention center food courts are overpriced and not very healthy. You will need to keep up your strength to sit in all of those sessions and walk through the cavernous vendor hall. It is good to have some drinks and snacks ready. The perfect time to grab a little something is as you are sitting in a session waiting for it to begin. But please be a good attendee, don't keep crackling that noisy wrapper while the speaker is lecturing. And clean up after
yourself. There are plenty of trash cans at the exits of the rooms.
6. Dress for the Convention. You will need comfortable shoes. You will be walking a lot. Convention centers are notorious for unpredictable temperatures. You will thank yourself if you have a sweater or jacket that you can put on when you get cold. And you can always throw it in your rolling cart when you don't need it.
7. How to Attack the Vendor Hall. The vendor hall is where most new homeschoolers lose it. It is very overwhelming. You will see so many wonderful things and be tempted to buy them all. I always run through the vendor hall on the first day quickly. I stop by each booth long enough to slap my labels on their contest and email list pages. I will grab a catalog and any free pencils and pens they are handing out. But I try to get out of there quickly before they can lure me into making a spontaneous purchase. I will spend my first night in the hotel checking out the catalogs and cross referencing my vendor check list I had made at home. Then I mark the map with the vendors I need to go back to visit in depth on day two.
8. Make the Most of the Sessions. Know what kind of a session you are attending. Some convention will label the sessions by what kind of track they are on. There are tracks for new homeschoolers, tracks for teens, tracks for teaching young children or for high school...the list goes on and on. Be aware that some sessions are taught by the vendors. This can be a great thing if you want to learn how to use a particular curriculum you were thinking about buying. But it can also be a disappointment if you chose it over another session and you have no interest in their product. Make sure you have a pen or pencil and a notebook to take notes. Many speakers will have a handout for you, but not all will. Most conventions also offer the option to purchase CDs or MP3s of the sessions that you can purchase if you want to listen to them later.
9. Make your purchases in the vendor hall. If you know it is something you are going to use, purchase it there. This will save you on shipping costs later. And by making your purchase, you encourage the vendors to come back next year. I know homeschoolers are trying to save money. You will be tempted to check everything out at the booth and then buy it used when you get home. But if you can truly afford to purchase from the vendor, it is nice to do (especially if you have spent a lot of his valuable time asking him to explain it to you.)
10. Have Fun. Homeschooling is hard work. We all love our kids, but they can push our buttons like nobody else. Use this time to remember why you are on this journey. Come home refreshed and ready to tackle it all over again on Monday.
Are you planning to attend a Homeschool Convention this year? Post in the comments which one you'll be at...maybe I'll see you there.
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