Charlotte Mason’s method of education creeps into our entire lives as educators–not just school time. This podcast is entering its sixth season and we celebrate this landmark number and beginning of season by reviewing and reflecting on a number of topics. We take a brief look back on our time together so far, changes the COVID circumstance has made on our own lives, share some news, some plans for the future personally and on the podcast, announce coming opportunities and ideas for our listeners, and wind up with tips for surviving the constant juggling of home, work, and schooling at home.
Listen Now:
Bestowing the Brush: Foundations in Drawing Video Course
The 2020-21 ADE Parents’ Educational Course
The Next Right Thing: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Reflection
Thank you ladies for this amazing and timely episode! You cannot even imagine how thrilled I am to hear about the Parents’ Educational Course Reading List. I’ve been searching for a “modern” version of CM’s Mother’s Course in recent months. You see, I’ve reached the end of my years (25) homeschooling my own, but want to continue learning and growing as I move into this new season of life. I facilitate an encouragement group for moms in my local community (which has a definite CM flair), and, after much thought and prayer, have decided to continue moving forward with it— even as I’ve completed my own years as a homeschool mom. I feel I’ve learned so much and still have much to offer to the community. Thank you for creating this reading plan so that my search (for that!) can be over and I can dive into the reading. And thank you for your constant grace and humility shown as you share your experience and great knowledge on this podcast. It continues to be a blessing to me and many others. Now I have to decide who to ask to read-along with me so that I can have those ever-important discussions. Who knows?!— maybe I’ll even join you as you read the Scott novel. Many blessings to you all!!
Stacie,
These are encouraging words and I, also nearing the end, am glad to be
joined by other moms who know the importance of helping the next
generation be successful in CM’s method.
Do read with us! We look forward to hearing how you enjoy Waverly.
You amazing ladies are just brimming with ideas! Thank you for the new Teacher Helps- they will be blessing to me as I am coordinating Sunday School lessons for my church (outside!). We are going through Genesis and Matthew right now and these will help lighten my planning load. Also- How did you know that I was spending precious time poring over my atlas trying to come up with decent map questions? Really this was an answer to an unspoken prayer! Looking forward to reading along with you…I already have 3 books (Scott, Sobel and Marshall) and they are all in an unread state (and my husband didn’t even flinch as I was putting more in my cart…just to see 😉
You whole talk was so encouraging, thank you again!
Amanda,
Thank you for this encouragement. It is always wonderful to hear that your labors are lightening someone else’s load. We look forward to reading with you, too.
I appreciate so much your hearts to help others on their CM homeschooling journey. I also love hearing others’ ideas for home management. It’s good to get my own gears going. You asked about how we all survived covid quarantine and what we learned thus far. God had been speaking to me about my busyness and about not letting my children’s therapies run my life. I was no longer resistant to the idea but very much asking how on earth to make any changes and what they should be. Then covid made the decisions for me. We had a solid month of zero therapies. We did end up adding in two via teletherapy in April and later a third therapy via tele, but there is yet one that we haven’t done since March. It has been very eye opening about what is important in terms of which therapies but also in what aspects of those therapies. I also learned so much about what else I can be doing at home to help my children. One of our therapies may indefinitely remain tele because we’ve actually made more gains that way than in person which surprised us all. I was thankful that we already homeschooled when lockdown started. I have several friends with ASD kiddos that had quite a difficult time, even regression, without school. My son, on the other side, has not been without struggles but he had that stability of his mornings to hold onto. It helped him tremendously. I was so very grateful to the Lord for that and for moving us out of a neighborhood and into the country a few years ago. Covid lockdown in our old house would’ve been a nightmare for us. I’m so grateful we could play outside and have lots of room to run. Two of my dance kids tried to do dance at home via zoom, too, Nicole! They only had once a week for an hour or less but it was so incredibly difficult. They were begging me to return to the studio and actually asking for summer dance classes because they missed the in-studio experience so much. It is so interesting how we discover what really matters to us when all is stripped away, ya know? We have all missed our friends, natural history club, and dance. I’m glad to know what matters to us in this season, though I know this means at some point my evenings will be full of dance and church again someday, maybe the afternoons won’t be quite so full of therapies. Having a less crazy therapy schedule will also mean that maybe we can actually give back at the barn where we do therapeutic riding lessons, helping with the care of the animals and grounds. Anyway, I definitely struggled as well with how best to manage my time. I felt so aimless for quite awhile. It’s gotten better over time, but discipline for myself has never been a strong suit of mine, so this is a slow process of disciplining myself to be more effective with my time. My children, though older than yours, Emily, are still very much learning new skills and needing much supervision for various reasons, some my fault for not teaching them younger and some because of their own unique limitations. I am attempting to have a different focus every day like kitchen or bathrooms or vacuuming. It’s not there at all at the moment, but we will get there! We can do dishes and laundry daily now that the kids are doing better at those chores on their own which is huge for us, but the bigger picture cleaning still largely falls to me and teaching them to do more things themselves, like clean a toilet or vacuum. It’s so much easier to teach them when they are little, even though there is still so much to oversee. You are setting yourself up for a much smoother path, Emily, than mine! Good for you! 🙂 Oh my, I am really rambling! LOL Anyway, it was great to hear updates into your lives and how things are going. It is so strange to feel like you know someone through a podcast, in some ways it feels like I know you ladies like friends and yet in reality it’s more like being a fan. LOL But you all have had a great impact on my homeschool and so you all are dear to me despite being merely acquaintances. Love and blessings to you all!
Rachel,
We also feel you are a friend as we have heard from you with comments and questions over the years. Thank you for encouraging us and hanging in there with us so long. Thank you for sharing about the benefits of your COVID experience. Don’t forget to take those big habit training goals one bite at a time and perfect one step at a time.
You are so sweet. Thanks! It’s like having a penfriend of sorts. 🙂 We are definitely trying to take habits a small step at a time. Unfortunately we have a terrible pattern of going backwards again after even months of doing well. Maybe it’s related to my epiphany about meal planning. When Nicole was talking about meal planning, she mentioned doing three weeks for a season and then making a new one. I have made 3-4 weeks of meal planning and we will just get bored after awhile. My kids will just not eat the things they loved anymore. It’s frustrating so I will eventually just give up and let the plan die but it’ll take me months to get up the courage to make a new plan. I like the idea of knowing that the plan is going to be used for only a season and then I can PLAN to change it again instead of it just frustrating me. I don’t know if that makes sense. lol But anyway, the same type of thing happens with habits, particularly in the chore category. For example, they cleaned the play room up before bed for many months and then it started to get missed more and more often until I forgot about it completely until I walked in the play room the other day and realized we’d totally let the habit go. It wasn’t the first time I’d been in the play room or anything. It was the first time I’d realized that we’d lost the habit. And it has been lost for a month or more, from what I can recollect. Obviously habits take far longer for me to maintain than I think they should. We’d been doing that since March very regularly, and sometime in the last month or so, it’s disappeared without a trace. This has happened many times for me. It’s a tough area for me.
Would you post samples of the new Geography Teachers’ Helps? Thank you!
Thank you for such an interesting episode. I am eagerly looking forward to the discussion of Waverley. It was the first Scott novel I read as an adult, a couple of years ago on Mason’s recommendation. I have been wondering how on earth I can read my children the Scottish ones when there are large chunks of dialogue that even I can’t understand. (I’m British-English, so I probably have more experience of being in Scotland and hearing the dialect than the average American – but I still find parts of Scott challening!) For myself, I just skim on through the indecipherable parts, but I know my children won’t be satisfied with that!
I feel Scott’s books are one area where Mason’s recommendations haven’t yet really taken off in the home educating community, so it will be good if next year’s discussion encourages some people to read more of his books and read them with their children. I’m currently reading Ivanhoe to my boys who are an academically-advanced 10 y.o. and a very-young-for-his-age 7 y.o. They have (mostly) really enjoyed it and have begged for me to read another Scott novel when we’ve finished. We’ve been reading it super slowly (for about 9 months so far now) but they would definitely have enjoyed it more if we’d been able to read it faster. I plan to read Quentin Durward to them next, as I don’t have to broach the Scottish dialect, and it’s a period my older son has covered in French history.
I found your Middlemarch discussion very interesting, though I’d not read the book for years, so it inspired me to re-read it, and then I re-read the Mill on the Floss and Scenes From Clerical Life, which I thoroughly enjoyed too, so thank you for prompting me to resurrect my Eliot books.
Not much has changed for me with COVID, but I have a home educating friend who was telling me how amazing it’s been to have such a slower pace of life, to notice what’s happening in nature, and for her children to have time to read and pursue their own interests rather than rushing around from one activity to another. She was just amazed at how her whole perspective on life was so different. What she was describing was really just what Mason’s method seeks to provide.
I think COVID has also made me more grateful. We have lots of practical challenges with fatigue issues, behaviour, special dietary requirements and so on. I’m often tempted to be frustrated, especially with how little of “proper” CM I can manage to fit in. However, I’ve seen lots of other families really struggling with juggling work and children, because their lives were running on a knife-edge with not much extra capacity for dealing with any changes in their situations. It made me realise how privileged we are that for my children, “normal” is mostly tied to being at home and having me around almost all the time – which has carried on as normal. I’m not reliant on childcare or activity clubs in order to keep functioning “normally” and in some ways, our situation makes us more resilient to change than many of our school-educating friends. I’m very grateful to God and my husband that we’re in that position. Plus DH now does the main supermarket trip each week, which is one fewer job for me to do – always a good thing! 🙂
Katie,
Thank you for all these comments, for sharing your viewpoint on COVID, and especially for your comments on Scott. George Eliot is one of my favorite novelists of all time, but Scott for me, as with you, has been a bit ore of a challenge. It is a blessing to hear an audio of someone who can manage the Scottish dialect. I have read Waverley twice, and am anxious to see if it makes a difference to read it a third time. Even in the patches of his novels that leave me panting to keep up, I find the story as a whole leaves a mark on me.
Katie, thanks for you comments on Scott and Eliot! I read Middlemarch in college and thoroughly enjoyed it. I wanted to reread it before the episode aired and didn’t, so I felt like I couldn’t listen. Now you’ve inspired me to listen in hopes that it pushes me to reread Middlemarch and pursue the others I’ve want to read of hers, such as Mill on the Floss. I just realized Ivanhoe is in our time period so your comments are giving me the courage to add it to our list for this year. I’ve always wanted to read it, but never have. I own Lady of the Lake also, but have never read it. I am going to look for a copy of Waverley now so I can get started! 🙂
Rachel, if you want to get into George Eiot easily, then I personally think Silas Marner is the easiest to read, and not too long. I listened to the Librivox recording of Scenes From Clerical Life and it was really good, but shorter than her long novels. I’m always tempted to skim over difficult sections, so audiobooks are good for forcing me to engage with all the text.
I could definitely do with looking out for the audio of Waverley! I don’t think all Scott’s Scottish novels are avilable on audiobook yet though unfortunately.
I enjoyed Ivanhoe the first time I read it, but I’ve enjoyed it lots more since reading it aloud. My children do often stop me to ask “what just happened?” but that doesn’t seem to have prevented them from enjoying it. I also picked it because it fitted with our time period. I think it’s a great one to start with for children because the historical period is set so long ago that Scott deliberately explains a lot of the culutural / social background, which you don’t necessarily get in his novels set in more contemporary times. The villains are very villainous, there is plenty of humour (at least one character is just hilarious), there’s a orotracted battle (very exciting) and you develop quite a feel for Richard Lionheart and Prince John. I hadn’t ever thought about the conflict between the Normans and Saxons before, and it has really deepened my appreciation of that part of history. I’ve read seven more Scott novels since, and am about to start an eighth. This is a part of my education which has been very motivating.
Waverly is available on librivox.org for anyone looking for an audio version.
That’s great, Katie! I own Silas Marner. It’s on my list too. I truly loved Middlemarch. I’m excited to read Ivanhoe. Thank you for that info! My daughter just asked me the other night “what does that mean?” the other night when we were reading Princess and Curdie by George McDonald (sequel to Princess and the Goblin). She is thoroughly enjoying this book but sometimes I do get those questions from her. Sometimes he explains it when I read a little further, sometimes not and I need to, but that is definitely not taking away from the enjoyment! I appreciate your commentary above! We should talk books sometime. Pm me on FB if you ever want to chat! 😉
Congratulations on 200 episodes and 6 seasons! You have blessed my family, and so many others, through this podcast – thank you!
I cheered a bit when Nicole said she had moved back to the tri-cities area. I can’t imagine how much more effort goes into a trans-American podcast, and I’m glad that distance won’t be as much of a problem for you all.
My hat is off to Emily as I had four littles under seven and only feel like I’m able to catch my breath as my youngest is about to turn three. I am curious how much the younger siblings are interested in their big brothers’ lessons, and bop in and out of folk songs and poetry time, for instance.
I love the meal planning rotations and that has given me some good food for thought, ha!
Finally, I am now really motivated to finish the Brothers Karamazov so I can start Waverly and a parent’s education book. Between Bible, a CM volume, a nature lore book, and a novel, along with practicing Spanish, violin, and piano, I need a timetable for my own Mother Culture. I think that taking them in short reading periods is absolutely the key, as it is for lessons.
Thank you again!
Elizabeth,
To be honest, Nicole returning has thrown us all into a podcasting adjustment as we became adjusted to long gaps and doing multiple podcast recordings at once and now are returning to our old once a month recording sessions and find ourselves scrambling. And, on vacation next week, I plan to work on a schedule for my mother culture time…instead of working out my son’s schedule while we cover the miles, I desperately need to rework out my own!
Did you say the Treadwell reading tools are only available for website purchase or are they also somewhere on patreon? I didn’t see them on patreon so I assume not unless I’m overlooking them?
They are not available on Patreon—they are one of our new Teacher Helps on the site.
Hi! I’ve recently found your blog and have been slowly listening from the beginning, but jumped to current as well. I have 4 under 6 and oh my goodness! So much to learn myself and yet it seems to take me all day to just get my Bible reading in. I’m going to try and read the PEC book recommendations, but I had two questions. My library doesn’t have assembling California or the secret wisdom of nature, but they have other books from those authors. Would that do? Also, do people read all of them at once really slowly, or do one from each of the four categories at a time?
Lauren,
It does seem immense and overwhelming at first, just like thinking of being an adult when you’re a kid–but, day by day, it will all work out. It sounds like your child rearing load is similar to Emily’s. I would recommend the Assembling California because it was chosen to fit the geology category, but all of his books are equally interesting. I recommend you pick one or two of the books and try to get them open and read something every day. It is amazing how slow, but consistent, reading gets us through much more in a year than we can imagine. Short lessons are not just for our children. I hope this is a fruitful year and that you continue to read, listen, learn–and ask questions when you have them because we are here and have been in your place before. Actually, we still feel overwhelmed, maybe just not the same things.
Liz
Thankyou for your discussion and the advice to be listening in to the latest podcasts – I have been listening straight through and am on 133 but will certainly be keeping up with the recent ones from now on.
I too enjoyed many things about lockdown and learned that it’s fine, perhaps even preferable, to go to the same local park every day rather than travelling here, there and everywhere. It’s a lesson I need to hold onto as I feel myself slipping back into racing about mode.
I enjoyed the discussion on chores, my 4 children are aged 5, 5, 3, 3 so am in a similar season to Emily. But I struggle as I have not myself been brought up with much self control in terms of consistency and hard work – I find myself resisting organisation, planning and structure in many areas even though I love planning – I’m not sure if it’s laziness or a legitimate difference in character which likes change and variety. Working through that. I will need to be strict with myself to implement consistent plans for school and chores and also choose a plan which is realistic for myself and the family otherwise I could aim high, fail and give up discouraged which often happens. I’m curious to know what exactly are the chores your young children are expected to do. I’m so in the habit of cleaning the kitchen myself and very quickly that I can’t quite think how I would involve a child, what the others would be doing at the time, and how I could fit in training all 4 of them in different tasks each day – though I loved the sound of that idea.
Sorry, this is a lot of questions. I also appreciated you saying you don’t do any work after dinner – by this do you mean all housework, schoolwork and paidwork? I love the thought that the evening is for rest (and husband and church time) – do you have any rest times for yourself in the day? I tend to try to have a rest while we (attempt to) have after lunch play in room times but perhaps I could be working through that and resting in the evening – is that your pattern?
Thanks so much – you all have been my inspiration and education!! The time you take out of very busy lives to inspire others is wonderful, I thank the Lord for you!
Little ones can do sooooo much, but slowly and, of course, ineptly at first. Great patience, slowing down, and allowing them to grow in competence pays big dividends in the future. And yes, we take time with the Lord alone in the morning, we work hard all day, and after dinner try to chill out.
-Liz
And a bonus question – when do you have time to fit all this in?? The mother culture reading (I downloaded the 2020-21 schedule and it looks great), the podcasts (I know the 2 you linked would be useful to me), the school planning prep and the running of a home and church involvement and friendships – does it fill every moment? I don’t know if I have the headspace!!
I am pretty sure I speak for all of us that we do only work six days a week, do sleep every night, and do just relax with friends and family. I can also honestly say our lives are very full. It may be a bit like weight lifting–a few pounds at a time and you can lift more than you think. It also helps to rely on the Lord’s strength, guidance, grace. If He calls, he directs, and He gives all we need.
-Liz
I believe there was something mentioned about being able to walk through a nature study with one of you…perhaps with a focus on flowers. I didn’t see anything about that on the website. Can you point me in the right direction? Thank you!
That is part of our Patreon Membership site. You can find the link in the sidebar if you’d like to check it out.