Over the years in our Charlotte Mason homeschool I have collected lots of tips on how to implement her ways and philosophy. Here are a collection of them for you. AS there are so many they are separated onto 3 different pages, but they are randomly arranged. Enjoy reading through and implementing what you can, when you can.

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips - the “will”:

A mom asked the other day: “How do I un-lazy myself?” First I wanted to give her a great big cyberspace pat on the back for asking it. When moms ask a question like this it means that their conscience has been awakened to a lack or neglect in there lives. It also indicates that God has spoken to them and they are responding.

Charlotte Mason talks in her writings about strengthening a child’s will. By this she does not mean creating a child ruled by their will, but rather helping a child mature to a place where their will serves them and enables them to will them to do the right thing.

This mom who asked the question above hopefully will begin to exercise her will to get up a little earlier and tend to just one thing more today than she did yesterday. She will hopefully choose to wash her dishes tonight, as her will flexes its muscles and enables her arms to be strong for their tasks. She will hopefully spend each day picking up in her home before she reads a chapter of her book. All the time, as with any muscle in the body, her will will become stronger and stronger to serve herself, her family and her Lord.

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips - planning

Very simply put – deal with one at a time. Just as she says “One Habit at a Time” so it is with goal setting. There are a few goals that a Christian homeschooling mom could have:

Spiritual Goals
Marriage Goals
Parenting Goals
Household Goals
Education Goals (personal and homeschooling)
Others

Under each of these sections she may have more specific ideas and aspirations that she would like to achieve over a period of time. For instance one example in each of those reflected in our home was:

Spiritual – walking in God’s unmerited favour (Grace)
Marriage – improving communication
Parenting – praise my children’s developing characters
Household – move to a more organic and sustainable lifestyle
Education – help the children develop their neatness; further my self study areas.
Others – save for travel in 2010

Each of these goals I wrote up at the beginning of the year, along with more specific areas in each relationship within our home. I pray them through and ask the Lord to direct me, help me tweak or readjust as we walk together.

Now that 12 months have passed I look back to see how God has worked in us, through me and ordered our circumstances to realise these goals.

Don’t forget that you can access some free printables on my site to help with planning and goal setting.

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips - Lifeskills

“Every craftsman is a valuable acquaintance to a child.” Charlotte Mason, Home Education

This quote came to mind as I watched our little one marvel at the workmen laying the bricks. He was even more delighted as they used the compacter to make the land level before laying the bricks.

When our oldest daughter showed an interest in breeding Budgies, we employed a carpenter to build an aviary for them. Our oldest son spent most of his days working alongside Casper. He learnt some valuable measuring skills as well as perseverance and problem solving.

If I think back to those days, I remember being very tempted to call him away from this work to do more formal and “acceptable” work to me. Yet today he still enjoys his woodwork and has a sense of achievement in knowing that he had a hand in the building of the aviary. Today we see the fruits of this as he labours alongside his father to build new raised beds, bookshelves and cupboards for his room.

Charlotte Mason on play

“There is a little danger in these days of much educational effort that children’s play should be crowed out, or… prescribed for and arranged until there is no more freedom of choice about play than about work.” Charlotte Mason, Original Homeschooling Series

Yesterday I watched Attila the Hun attack Joan of Arc while the some two legged hunting dogs looked on! The children turned our jungle gym into their siege engine and spent the afternoon playing outside. Living books feed living minds and childhood play is based on most of this.

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips - self motivation

“In urging a method of self education for children in lieu of the vicarious education that prevails, …the difference is just that between driving a horse that is light and a horse that is heavy in hand; the former covers the ground of his own happy will and the driver goes merrily.” Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education

Self education in the Charlotte Mason homeschool is where the child is able to do the “work” herself. This does not mean to say that you assign your child a page of maths and disappear. It means that you have opened up the world of books to your children. It means that you teach them the skills they need to tap into good books. Those skills are reading, research methods and library skills. In this day, computer and internet skills are also part of this discipline.

Charlotte Mason was a believer in children having to “stand or fall by their own effort” and as hard as it is for a parent to watch their child fail at something they put their hand too, it is also a valuable learning experience.

Often parents get their children to work well with the promise of a star on a chart or the page of their workbook. Charlotte Mason would prefer a simple: “Well done!”

The motivation for you and your child, to do your work in your homes and in learning disciplines should be because you have a habit of doing the right thing. It should also be because we have hearts that want to serve and to please our Lord.

Our children watch our attitudes as we go about our days and if we grumble through our chores and work or if we have a bad attitude about teaching and training our children, how can we expect our children to have anything other?

Lets face it, there are jobs that we all dislike. In our home these are the most disliked ones – cleaning up dog’s mess, washing out the bins and ironing. The motivation not to do these chores is great so we have found ways to make them more palatable. But ultimately without strength of character no amount of bribing, cajoling or stars will change our attitudes.

More Charlotte Mason Tips

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