Finding Freedom with Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
Homeschooling parents understand there are highs and lows in our days. Crazy days and busy seasons don’t go away during home education. Sometimes, the busy seasons turn into a routine that leads to chaos in our homes. We then find stress consumes our days, and learning is no longer enjoyable.
It’s easy for us to feel stuck in our regular routines as we push the final problems, projects, and requirements we are required to meet. I felt this way for a long time in our homeschool and even contemplated sending my children to a local school.
After much prayer and wise words from friends, I realized that the issue was too much chaos and not enough calmness in our days. I needed to change my methods and find more freedom in our learning. If this sounds like you, here are some things we changed in our homeschool to allow more freedom.
Finding Freedom with Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
As a previous classroom teacher, I had my reservations about trying different methods when it came to homeschooling my children. However, after spending time in research and reading Charlotte Mason’s works, I fell in love with the idea of restful homeschooling. This idea of unhurried education brought rest and intention in planning, choosing curriculum, literature discussions, and so many other things.
Beyond the Textbook
One of my favorite Charlotte Mason quotes is “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” Living life with our children is the best way to truly educate our children beyond the pen and paper. While time spent at the kitchen table is most definitely needful, they can also form helpful habits in other ways.
- Helping in the kitchen
- Completing small chores such as making beds, picking up, unloading the dishwasher, and more
- Short nature journaling sessions
- Working alongside you in the garden, backyard, or other places
These are just a few areas we can educate our children beyond the textbook. Habits can start small and build up as they grow older and their frame changes. It’s easier for our children to learn from the textbooks when we create an atmosphere of unhurried learning in all areas of life.
Connection with the Creator
This idea of unhurried homeschooling allows us to cultivate attention and wonder in our students. Charlotte Mason loved spending time studying nature with her students. Children love spending time in the wide, open spaces of nature as they explore and ponder what they see. The more they create habits of attention, the more they make connections with the Creator.
If this idea of nature study is new to you as it was for me, start small. I began by just walking around our yard and neighborhood. My children pointed out various plants or creatures, and then they would draw them later. Three years later, our nature journals contain more extensive drawings and notes. The idea is to cultivate a habit of attention in our life and keep the wonder of learning alive.
Do you already practice any of these principles or methods in your homeschool? I’d love to hear about them!
Danielle is a former classroom teacher turned “work-from-home” and homeschooling mother of two. She now spends her days teaching her children, reading numerous books, and sharing her gifts with others. She blogs about her adventures at DanielleHope.com.
