Brain Science, Our Phones, and the Fight for Leisure
One of my big reasons for homeschooling is to keep my children as intrinsically motivated as possible in their learning, something I’ve personally struggled with over the years. Because of this, when I noticed The Self-Driven Child (affiliate link) mentioned (a…
Parenting like a queen: Charlotte Mason’s words on authority
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. his summer, I am reading through Charlotte Mason’s third and fourth volumes, starting with School Education. The…
Five Books, Twenty Minutes, One Charlotte Mason Friendly Home Preschool
In previous posts, I’ve covered both why we are doing preschool at home this year, and how we are keeping it in line with Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy. Now I’d like share the five books I have in our preschool…
Why bother with Preschool at Home?
One year ago, I assumed I wouldn’t do any sort of a formal preschool with my kids. Charlotte Mason advocates starting formal lessons no earlier than age six. So why complicate things? I trusted the method, and the wisdom of…
Practicing Masterly Inactivity with your Toddler
Recently, I introduced Charlotte Mason’s concept of masterly inactivity. Her thinking was that it is often best to ‘let children alone’ except in situations where we need to provide guidance and support, or to assert our authority. Additionally, in School Education Miss Mason explains…
What should our young kids do all day?
What do we do with our children? Obviously we have to meet their basic needs. Food, water, clean diapers, sleep, shelter. I’d throw ‘secure relationships’ into that list, too. But what about when they aren’t eating, sleeping, or being cleaned? What do…
Understanding Your Child as a Whole Person
There have been a few times recently when I have not heard my toddler, N, when he is speaking to me. N is incredibly verbal lately, and like most 2.5 year olds, he babbles and repeats himself a lot, so on…
Charlotte Mason and the Early Years
When N was on the way, I started researching home education. (Can you say ‘planner’?) Blogs of home educating parents mesmerized me. I saw home education as an opportunity to have a flexible schedule, to live in any number of countries, and…
Welcome to Around the Thicket
Hi, I’m Amy, and I have seen one too many pins on Pinterest with home-school curriculums for preschoolers that center on worksheets, complicated activities, and parent-directed teaching. Learning in the early years is near and dear to my heart. My husband,…
