Teach Me: Cincinnati Homeschool Convention March 31st – April 2,2011

Did you know that the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention is less than a month away? It is time to start planning if you haven't already. I've been working on a few things that I think will be helpful to you. In the meantime below is my planning checklist. The forms mentioned will be available to you soon. 

Get the most out of the convention by planning as much as you can in advance.

• Have a plan for your children. The children’s program was wonderful last year. My boys have talked about it for over a year. There are age restrictions, so plan accordingly. Be sure to register them early, as space does fill up quickly.

• Save on costs. Book hotel reservations early and look for blocks that have been reserved for convention pricing. Book a room somewhere a little farther away from the convention center with a short distance to travel for cheaper rates.

• Save on food at the convention by planning to pack a lunch each day. This saved us a lot on food costs as they were priced high and not very nutritious choices. The convention center does not allow for you to bring food in. We had car picnics, with the windows down and the sunshine pouring in. It was a great time!

• Use the curriculum cost comparison sheet to see if there are better deals at the convention compared to prices you’ve found online.

• Prepare your convention binder in advance so you can enjoy every minute of it.

• Bring along a rolling tote, backpack (if you can handle the load) or a small rolling suitcase to carry your purchased curriculum in. I won't be going the backpack route this year. I had a sore back for a month!

• Plan to incorporate the cost of workshop audio cd's for the workshops you'll miss into your budget. I was so happy they offered these last year. I have enjoyed listening to them at home. There are over 300 workshops this year!       

• Most important, pray before you go. I took my mom’s advice the first time I went to the convention and asked the Lord to show me the best resources and curriculum that would work for my family. I feel like he’s been guiding me since then. I’ve probably made a few bad choices on my own, but I learned the hard way, and had to get different curriculum because of it.

Have you attended the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention? Do you have any tips to share? Please include them in the comments below.

I personally enjoy the convention. My husband is taking a couple of days off to go with me this year. I'm excited to hear Todd Wilson and other speakers right by his side.

I'll have some fun convention planning printables for you shortly!

xoxo Gabreial