Do we sometimes expect too much from our homeschooling curriculum? Obviously it’s important. A crucial part of the Charlotte Mason philosophy is to give our kids a broad and generous education. A curriculum certainly helps me make sure that we get the proportions right. But just because curriculum is a valuable tool, doesn’t mean that…
One part of Charlotte Mason homeschooling that I love is the inclusion of many riches. Artist study, composer study, and especially learning hymns and folk songs. These topics are not likely to ever appear on a standardized test, but in my opinion, they are essential to educating whole people. Despite the importance of beauty and…
I think my oldest son was around two years old when I bought our first ‘school book’. I needed to top up an Amazon order so that I could get free shipping, and they had a copy of Our Island Story in their warehouse deals. It’s been floating around our house for years now, only…
I’ve been doing a morning time routine with my kids for a few years now. After breakfast, we gather and enjoy music, poetry, and books together. Over that time, I’ve noticed one thing: morning time only runs smoothly when all of the books and resources are actually in the basket. Nothing derails morning time faster…
After a long time enjoying gentle and quiet early years, my six year old son has started more formal lessons. In a Charlotte Mason homeschool, providing a broad and generous curriculum is a huge priority. This begs the question: how do you fit it all in? The answer? A lot comes down to scheduling. In…
I am approaching my sixth year of motherhood, and if there is one thing that I’ve learned, it’s to recognize the rub of sanctification in my heart. I sit down with a book and a cup of tea, the toddler down for a nap, my eldest decides he needs three knots tied in a piece…
What do we do with the ideas we have been given through Charlotte Mason’s principles 1-4? We can accept that we were born – and still are – persons, that we are on a long journey of sanctification and that our character is still a work in progress. We feel the pull of both authority…
Most of us are familiar with the idea of self-care. “Mom, you need to take care of yourself. Set apart some me-time. Go out for coffee. Get a manicure. Eat a snack so that you don’t get hangry. Sleep when the baby sleeps (lovely idea, until you have more than one).” The underlying idea says,…
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…