CHEA Convention

This weekend we attended the CHEA Convention in Long Beach. Actually this is the first year we didn't attend any of the sessions.

We have represented Doorposts in the exhibit hall for 5 or 6 years now. Doorposts is a family run small business in Oregon. Pam Forster has written most of the curriculum and designed the charts. She is the one with the If/Then, Blessing, Go to the Ant, and Brother Offended charts. She also wrote For Instructions in Righteousness, a parenting resource that has scripture references for almost any sin you as a parent would need to address with your child, not to mention yourself.

Well as I stated before, we did not attend any sessions this year. I will probably download several of them and listen later this week. CHEA of CA is the Christian Home Educators Association of CA. We have attended for around 20 years. This is the first year I didn't have anything to plan for the approaching school year.

I did check out the small college booths in the exhibit hall but was not impressed. The two girls in the Multnomah booth across from our booth did not seem to want to even be there. They left for lunch both days during the official lunch time. That is when the exhibit hall is the most crowded. They talked with each other or read books the rest of the time. They were just not very approachable. I waited until they were gone to even take a brochure. The Pensacola booth never had a person in it when I or Chuck walked by. The tuition, room and board for an entire year was under 7000. I really wanted to know how they can do that and what this school really can offer. The third one was most promising. It is local - Riverside - but they are not really very homeschool transcript friendly. They want more proof than the Cal State/CSU system even requires for homeschool/private students. It is looking more and more like a JC/Clep year.

It was great interacting with so many homeschool families this year at the booth. Yes, you heard it right FAMILIES. Children and teens and DADS attended in a much greater number this year. Thank you CHEA for hearing us! Homeschooling is more than just an educational choice. It is a lifestyle choice. That means parents often choose to have their children with them. It is the teaching along the road thing. How can we teach along the road if our children are on a different road? There are still many moms and dads that choose to come without their children. That is also OK. Parents also need some time without the kids. The really really great thing is we all get to choose what works best for our family at that particular time at the convention now. Isn't that the heart of homeschooling? We have the freedom to choose.


Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.