I have always wanted to be a mom. The stay-at-home variety, like my own mother. Given this fact, you might assume that my first child brought me complete contentment. I imagine that you know better than to make this assumption. Indeed, I became a mother, but contentment remained at bay. I loved my son, had…
In Home Education, Charlotte Mason famously (or perhaps infamously) says that children should spend four to six hours outside every day – a bit less in winter. Time and time again, I have seen parents respond in one of two ways. Some panic at the thought that they are failing their children by not meeting…
Raise your hand if you wish your kids would listen better. And by listen, you mean follow instructions and do what you ask. The first time. If your hand is in the air, then mine is waving right next to yours. Sit in our house long enough and you will see plenty of examples of…
[sc name=”Habit Training Workshop”] In a previous post, I set out my plans for incorporating habit training into our home. The mission was simple: have my kids get dressed before breakfast, setting us up for a day with more opportunities, less rushing, and generally more fun. I also promised to post updates to give real-life…
Reading Charlotte Mason for yourself can seem daunting when your time and energy are limited as a homeschooling mom. Here’s why you should make the time. Plus, an invitation to read Charlotte Mason with me!
I come to the same place at least a few times a day. A place where I want to temporarily ‘check out’ of my current circumstances. It’s a combination of tiredness from physically caring for my family, and of weariness from near-constant conversation with young children most of the day. I want to tune it…
Habit training, thus far in my Charlotte Mason journey, has felt like a bit of a unicorn. It’s concept is beautiful (setting patterns into motion that lead to ‘smooth and easy days’ ahead? Yes, please!), but actually managing to do it… that has been beyond me. I’ve been reviewing Charlotte Mason’s motto recently: Education is…
One of my bigger challenges as a mom of three little boys is coping with highly fractured time. Gone are the days when I could spend an hour getting myself dressed and ready for the day, mosey to the library to get a bit of work done for uni, wander back for lunch, read a…
Some times I read something that is so significant I text a picture of it to my husband, so that he can read it, too. This summer, I am reading through Charlotte Mason’s third and fourth volumes, starting with School Education. The first two chapters are on docility and authority, and Miss Mason sets up Queen Elizabeth…
Parents are investing more and more time into their children’s development, Alia Wong points out in the beginning of her recent article on The Atlantic: The American Obsession with Parenting. Wong points to several studies showing that this is quantitatively true, and I think we all know in our gut that there is an intensity around…