Welcome to Tarweed Primary

This project is inspired by my own experience joining a small, local homeschool co-op.

Up until my first child was 5, being a parent was isolating in a lot of ways. It was a combination of my own personality holding me back, and not being able to find people that I "click" with. But if I was going to take a leap and teach my child outside of the public school system, I needed to find opportunities for her and I needed to find her some friends. So we went onto a Facebook group and eventually found a newly formed homeschool co-op. We went in with low expectations and figured it would just be another little activity we check off our to-do list each week.

But I was wrong.

I found myself in tears every week. It was not just a little activity. It was the community we were searching for- "The Village." While my children were doing their scheduled lesson and activities, I was making connections with their parents. We would discuss family, goals, hardship, and hobbies. This wasn't the small talk I was used to with meeting new people. I really opened up to them, and they reciprocated. Every Tuesday, we would leave the co-op with our hearts so full.

In the past couple years, we have expanded beyond our Tuesday meet-ups. We have gone to other events together, camping, and sometimes just to each others' houses to hang out. These people were even there for us when my daughter was in the hospital. They are our lifelong friends and family now.

Tarweed Primary is my attempt to share this feeling with other homeschool parents who are searching for connection and community. I want it to be a space where we can all celebrate your success, and sit with you when you're in the trenches. I hope you find your people here.

Why "Tarweed?"
Someone asked a question in an online post: "What is the name of your homeschool?"

At the time, I hadn't given it much thought. We just called it homeschool. But I figured it might be fun to give it a name, so I searched the internet for ideas. I wanted a wildflower, because it symbolizes our choice to educate freely outside of the system. Then I came across tarweeds which are extremely resilient and drought-tolerant, and I knew immediately that we found our name. Resilience is the ability to adapt well to adversity and "bounce back." That is one of the most important traits that can carry you through anything in life, and I want that for my children. I also want it for all of you.