Atmosphere, Discipline, Life
Photo credit: Adobe StockCharlotte Mason tells us that “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.”
And how true this is. It is in fact an atmosphere of reverence and faith, a discipline of making each moment measured and meaningful, and a life of outdoor discovery, rich learning, and intellectual culture.
As we plan for the new school year, let’s keep these truths at the forefront.
Atmosphere of Reverence and Faith that Inspires a Child to Right Living
Charlotte Mason says that we must nurture in our children the desire for “things lovely, honest, and of good report” and that this “is the earliest and most important ministry of the educator.”
And how do we do this? Through the “thought-environment which surrounds the child as an atmosphere, which he breathes as his breath of life.”
Charlotte Mason tells us that this atmosphere that “inspires the child’s unconscious ideas of right living emanates from his parents.”
This is not hard work for us. In fact, it springs out of our own thought environment. This is why it is essential for us to cultivate our own walk with the Lord. As we draw near to Him, His thoughts become our thoughts. Every word we speak are words He gives us, and His love and kindness flow through us to others.
Our children will unconsciously see and absorb these things.
Charlotte Mason says,
“Every look of gentleness and tone of reverence, every word of kindness and act of help, passes into the thought-environment, the very atmosphere which the child breathes; he does not think of these things, may never think of them, but all his life long they excite that 'vague [appetite] towards something' out of which most of his actions spring.”
A Discipline of Making Each Moment Measured and Meaningful
Almost everything we do in our daily life is from habit. We practice habits of thinking and habits of doing. Often, it’s our thinking that must be changed before we can create a new habit.
The fact is, most of our actions are in response to a thought. It goes something like this: Thought leads to emotion, and emotion leads to action. Sometimes we don’t notice the habitual negative thought patterns that affect our actions. In order to make a new habit that will stick, we must be aware of the thoughts we have.
Paul tells us in Corinthians that we must take our thoughts captive.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
If our thoughts line up with the Word of God, it will transform everything about our lives.
One negative thought pattern I often see in homeschool moms is the cycle of fear and anxiety. This usually begins as a frightening thought and worse-case scenario imagination. When we allow our minds to run down those slippery slopes, we experience anxiety and stress. God tells us that this kind of fear is a bondage-entrapping spirit.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Romans 8:15
Because our battle is not against flesh and blood, we must battle these habitual negative thoughts with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:16-17
If we can conquer wrong thinking patterns, we can go a long way toward practicing the habit of making each moment measured and meaningful.
A Life of Outdoor Discovery, Rich Learning, and Intellectual Culture
When planning your calendar, be sure to include time outdoors in the daily routine and several hiking excursions or visits to botanical gardens. A good place to find walking and hiking trails is Alltrails.com. Make a poster of the nearby trails you want to explore this year. Print up pictures of each and add them to your poster. This will get the whole family excited and in the right frame of mind to enjoy the excursion. Be sure to take your nature journals and spend a few minutes making a sketch of something interesting from each expedition.
Rich learning is of course the hallmark of a Charlotte Mason education. Fill your home with a feast of living books. We especially loved the YWAM missionary stories to learn geography and culture, historical fiction to immerse in time periods, and classic literature that the whole family can enjoy.
Intellectual culture is perhaps the one arena of a Charlotte Mason education that many people struggle to implement. Despite what the modern educational system leads us to believe, teaching art and artist study, poetry, hymns, folk songs, classical music and handicrafts is as essential as academic subjects. Science and research have shown over and over again how much these subjects improve brain functioning, intellectual development, emotional regulation, and academic performance. Do your best to include these in your yearly schedule.
Although Charlotte Mason would submit that a child should interact with each of these areas weekly, her culture was quite a bit different than our own. Nevertheless, we should endeavor to engage with at least one arena of intellectual culture each week. Poetry is easily handled if you use Living Verse Language Arts in Poetry as your language arts curriculum.
However, in early fall, I expect to have my Culture and Craft Enrichment Curriculum in hand. This curriculum makes adding intellectual culture to your week streamlined, rich, and easy. To learn more about Culture and Craft, go to the link below.
Also, be sure to take a look at Living Verse if you want to simplify language arts for your family. Not only does one book cover every subject within English language arts, all your children ages six to fourteen can learn and experience language arts and poetry together.
It is my hope that this coming school year is the best ever for you and your family!
I know you are creating wonderful memories, developing a strong family culture, and giving your children a wonderful education.
May you experience His grace and peace each day of your school year—and may He permeate the atmosphere of your home, all your thoughts and habits, and every moment outdoors and indoors as you seek to follow His will.