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 - family

In Charlotte Mason’s “Parents and Children” she begins to define what a family is. Her main points are as follows:

1. The family is a commune – where all members enjoy its property and duties.
2. The family must be social – a family should not live in isolation.
3. The family must serve its neighbors – here she mentions that the family needs to reach out to those in need, the poor and the orphans.
4. The family must serve the nation – because when the family lives in isolation it “ceases to be part of a living whole, and becomes positively injurious, as decayed tissue in the animal organism”.

I have thought much on these words over the last few months. There are seasons where we need to pull away from society but we were not designed to live alone. We, as homeschooling moms, need the support of other families and they need us. We all have wonderful talents and gifts that God has placed in us, and we need to share them.

I realized how much we need each other today as I spent a second day with a friend who is a first time mom and is struggling to get her baby to nurse. Another dear friend and I spent sometime praying for her before I went and it was such a blessing to be able to help this mom and her precious newborn. Our children came along and were thrilled to be able to help by making lunch and watering their garden.

May I encourage you to look for ways to reach out with your family and support others around you? Let your children become actively involved in showing love and care to other people. This act of serving begins to plant seeds to grow our children into being magnanimous adults.

If you are the one needing support right now, then do not be afraid to ask for it from trusted friends and family.

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips - habit

One of the first things that grabbed my attention about Charlotte Mason was her emphasis on creating habits in our children, and ourselves. When I met Charlotte Mason I had lots of habits…bad ones! I liked to sleep late. I ate quick and easy foods. I never finished the tasks I started….well, you get the idea. With the adoption of a habit mentality comes Charlotte Masons grace approach saying: “Deal with one habit at a time.”

So I started on making and eating healthy, whole food types of meals. When that was well underway I started on my next habit – seeking the Lord in the morning. This one has stayed with me now for 10 years and I will never give it up.

Training our children in good habits will set them up to achieve much in their spiritual, physical and academic lives. I deal with the training in habits extensively on my site with specific reference to children’s chores. You can also read about other habits that are valuable in a homeschool at the article: Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.

I am, I can, I ought, I will was Charlotte Mason’s educational motto. What does this mean to you? In our home we have adopted it as follows: I am created in the image of God, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I ought to do my best and let my light shine, I will choose to walk in obedience to the Lord.

There are many times when I have had to remind myself of these four things and then act upon them. There are many times that I encourage my children with these same words. Can they begin to be part of your home too?

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips - Magnanimity

One of the first books I read with regards to a Charlotte Mason lifestyle was Karen Andreola’s Charlotte Mason Companion. It was here that I came across the word magnanimity. I could understand from her writings the general meaning of the word but as the years rolled by I have begun to understand and live the meaning. Because I want you to keep reading my article instead of rushing of for a dictionary, here is the definition taken from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.

MAGNANIMITY, “Greatness of mind; that elevation or dignity of soul, which encounters danger and trouble with tranquility and firmness, which raises the possessor above revenge, and makes him delight in acts of benevolence, which makes him disdain injustice and meanness, and prompts him to sacrifice personal ease, interest and safety for the accomplishment of useful and noble objects.” In our homes we are able to take the time to cultivate this very character in ourselves and our children. Just by the nature of a homeschooling lifestyle we can teach our children to have tranquil spirits, to love in spite of injury, to help and serve and to be benevolent with younger siblings. What a wonderful training ground our homes can be as we rest in the life that God has called us to as homeschooling families.

Some may wonder how magnanimity can be taught. Once mom has caught the vision of not responding in anger to situations, she can teach her children how to rise above situations and respond in love. Once mom has learnt to delight in acts of benevolence (kindness, compassion and generosity) she can teach this to her children. This is done by living example and by word.

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips - short lessons

One of Charlotte Mason’s gifts that she has handed on to the next generation of homeschooling parents is the ability to lighten our loads. She does this by helping us to see the importance of training our children in good habits. She also shows us the importance of short lessons and the use of living books to teach rather than textbooks and outlandish hands on projects.

Following her ways we truly realise that: “A child is a person in whom all possibilities are present - present now at this very moment - not to be educed after many years and efforts manifold on the part of the educator.”

When we embrace short lessons, training in habits and living books along with a widely varied curriculum, we open the way for afternoon hours that are free from learning disciplines, nagging mothers and weary children.

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips - dawdling

Every mom at some time in her homeschooling journey has to deal with unsavory attitudes. I was speaking to a wonderful “Charlotte Mason mom” today and we were discussing various ways to help our children obey when they are older where we can appeal to their intellect instead using other forms of punishment.

Many homeschooling moms mention that they battle with children who dawdle over schoolwork. Charlotte Mason had a few ways that she recommended to help children overcome dawdling ways.

Short lessons – Keep the lessons in elementary school at 20 – 30 minutes per subject.

Variety - Present your children with a hard lesson then an easier lesson.

Habit - Train your children in the habit of full attention and perfect execution.

Punishment - A child who does not complete their work in the allotted time, needs to understand that time is precious and that it cannot be wasted. Therefore the left over lesson has to move to free time in the afternoon.

NOTE: If you are going to enforce this last point, you will have to give over your free time as well to help your child. A few days of missing out on an activity or sibling play time, will be a sure cure for your dawdler and your frustration at schooling times. Please also make sure that you enforce this with a quiet and gentle spirit – no ranting and raving allowed.

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips - Perfect execution of work

Charlotte Mason’s students were expected to deliver the best that they could each day as they worked. The goal for her students, particularly in the area of disciplined studies like copywork, was perfect execution. In our homes we are able to encourage our children to do their best in each lesson that we present to them. As we work closely with our children we can see their strengths and their weaknesses. We can take a season to focus on the areas where they struggle, to bring that skill to an acceptable level. We can take a season to train a child’s heart and let the academics be in the background if need be. As homeschoolers we are privileged not to have to tick blocks each day but to look over our goals and vision for our children and work towards that end. Each season in the home prepares for the next season so just as we would never build a house on faulty foundations, we need to ensure that we are creating solid foundations of character on which to build our children’s future academic career. Excellence in spiritual, personal and academic areas comes as mom herself reaches for this goal and shares her learning with her children as she encourages them towards excellence in its season.

Mother Culture

Weekly I get emails or phone calls where I hear a mom say that they never have time for themselves. To different moms this means different things. Some would just like to do their grocery shopping on their own, others want to browse in a bookstore and still others want to pursue an interest. For me, it has been building this website.

I have written about the need to take time out on my Titus2 pages.The key, for me, is finding some time in my day to pray and for ensuring my health and fitness. For you it may be something different, but whatever it is, be sure to do it – it comes with blessing from Charlotte Mason. Even a much admired woman, the Proverbs 31 woman, found time for herself...begin to make this habit today.

More Charlotte Mason Homeschool Tips

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