Celebrate Charlotte Mason

January 1st ~

Many people start afresh ~

• New Year resolutions
• New plans
• New goals

Did you know the Charlotte Mason’s birthday was January 1st?

A new CM year …Every year I am determined to delve deeper, refine our CM approach, raise my expectations as the children mature, add new disciplines or subjects, and encourage my children to take it up a notch.

In honor of Ms. Mason’s name ~

• M ~ mentor character & good habits, mind-food through Living Books, masterly inactivity

• A ~ art & music & poetry appreciation, attentive listening

• S ~ short lessons, sing hymns, Shakespeare, Scripture memorization

• O ~ observe details in nature study, art & music, only once read chapter aloud

• N ~ narration, notebooks, nature study

But, truly, homeschooling is so much more than CM or curriculum, philosophy or approach, standards or subjects.

Recently I spent time researching my 17-year-old’s tertiary education options and I realized that my time left homeschooling her is so precious.   Already she has spread and flapped her wings and wants to take flight.  It is all quickly nearly over, this special time of learning and growing together.

Already, it is different.  I no longer lead. She and I sit side by side and talk, question, and discuss all the options.  I encourage, she takes the lead and carves out her destiny.

I marvel how my sweet, intelligent, talkative little 5-year-old has become a strong, focused young lady with definite plans and hopes and dreams.  She wants to use her passions and talents in creative, unique ways.

I thank Miss Charlotte Mason for her rich Fine Arts, never-to-be-forgotten-living-books, narrated-notebooking-instead-of-workbooks education.  Wonderful memories of a (may I use this) gentle education. She has given our homeschooling wings!

Celebrate a new year of CM-inspired homeschool with me! Pop over to my Charlotte Mason page for more.

This post was submitted to the CM Carnival.  Join us there for a feast of CM inspiration and memories.

Blessings,