I've been reading the CM Carnival since the beginning and a thought occurred to me that they are the 21st Century version of the Parents' Review Magazine. I wanted to contribute and the topic pressing on me at this moment is that of Mother Culture. While not technically a Charlotte Mason term it is relevant among moms who home educate using Charlotte's theories. Having established that fact what is mother culture then?
Wikipedia defines it as a term for an early people and their culture, with great and widespread influence on later cultures and people. Though the original culture may fade, the mother culture's influence grows for ages in the future. Later civilizations either learn and build upon their old ways, or can learn them through peaceful or military assimilation.
With that definition in mind one would think it is a good thing for a mom to pass on good qualities that will influence her children the rest of their lives. While this is good and is something we should be doing, in the CM circles mother culture is thought to have more to do with the continuing education of the mom.
Now that we have something to mirror it upon let's ask the question of why a busy mom who may think she has no time in her day would even want to continue educating herself. I think the reason for why can be answered in some good quotes. Charlotte Mason herself said, "Never be without a really good book on hand. If you find yourself sinking to a dull commonplace level, with nothing particular to say, the reason is probably that you are not reading and therefore not thinking . . . "* And it is written somewhere, "A mother is only a woman, but she needs the love of Jacob, the patience of Job, the wisdom of Moses, the foresight of Joseph, and the firmness of Daniel." **
And finally how does a mom get herself some of this mother culture? I can not speak for every mom but I can share what I am doing for mother culture.
Let's start with the summer my son turned four. We lived in an apartment complex with a courtyard and pool. Each day my son would play outside with other children his age range riding tricycles on the sidewalk path in the courtyard while I read or I would take my son to play in the pool and while he was safely swimming with other kids and wearing a suit with a built in flotation device I would also read. That summer I read just about every book I could get my hands on regarding home education.
Last "school year", when my son was five he took homeschool gymnastics and during that one hour I would take my book bag that held my Bible, Volume I by Charlotte Mason, and one or two other books of interest I was currently reading. Of course there was daily Bible reading also as many advocate that moms should devote a minimum of a half hour daily to mother culture.
Since January of this year I have also been taking one or two college classes per semester. I know that this endeavor has a tangible piece of paper to look forward to but believe that if I always feed the quest for learning I will be setting a good example for my son.
One way I consider modeling this quest is by working through the AmbleSide years myself. I realize that I will be doing this along side of my son. For example right now we are doing Year 1 (although slightly modified) and during this time, and probably on through Year 3, I will do the majority of the reading out loud to him. I hope that by Years 4 through 6 that my son can then do the majority of the reading out loud to me. The end result being that by the time we are ready to enter HEO we can both be on the same time table and read to ourselves and share narrations together.
I also feel in this way my only child will not feel like he is all alone in this undertaking we call education.
*The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley, Parent's National Education Union 1960, page 162.
** http://amblesideonline.org/PR/PR03p092MotherCulture.shtml
Wikipedia defines it as a term for an early people and their culture, with great and widespread influence on later cultures and people. Though the original culture may fade, the mother culture's influence grows for ages in the future. Later civilizations either learn and build upon their old ways, or can learn them through peaceful or military assimilation.
With that definition in mind one would think it is a good thing for a mom to pass on good qualities that will influence her children the rest of their lives. While this is good and is something we should be doing, in the CM circles mother culture is thought to have more to do with the continuing education of the mom.
Now that we have something to mirror it upon let's ask the question of why a busy mom who may think she has no time in her day would even want to continue educating herself. I think the reason for why can be answered in some good quotes. Charlotte Mason herself said, "Never be without a really good book on hand. If you find yourself sinking to a dull commonplace level, with nothing particular to say, the reason is probably that you are not reading and therefore not thinking . . . "* And it is written somewhere, "A mother is only a woman, but she needs the love of Jacob, the patience of Job, the wisdom of Moses, the foresight of Joseph, and the firmness of Daniel." **
And finally how does a mom get herself some of this mother culture? I can not speak for every mom but I can share what I am doing for mother culture.
Let's start with the summer my son turned four. We lived in an apartment complex with a courtyard and pool. Each day my son would play outside with other children his age range riding tricycles on the sidewalk path in the courtyard while I read or I would take my son to play in the pool and while he was safely swimming with other kids and wearing a suit with a built in flotation device I would also read. That summer I read just about every book I could get my hands on regarding home education.
Last "school year", when my son was five he took homeschool gymnastics and during that one hour I would take my book bag that held my Bible, Volume I by Charlotte Mason, and one or two other books of interest I was currently reading. Of course there was daily Bible reading also as many advocate that moms should devote a minimum of a half hour daily to mother culture.
Since January of this year I have also been taking one or two college classes per semester. I know that this endeavor has a tangible piece of paper to look forward to but believe that if I always feed the quest for learning I will be setting a good example for my son.
One way I consider modeling this quest is by working through the AmbleSide years myself. I realize that I will be doing this along side of my son. For example right now we are doing Year 1 (although slightly modified) and during this time, and probably on through Year 3, I will do the majority of the reading out loud to him. I hope that by Years 4 through 6 that my son can then do the majority of the reading out loud to me. The end result being that by the time we are ready to enter HEO we can both be on the same time table and read to ourselves and share narrations together.
I also feel in this way my only child will not feel like he is all alone in this undertaking we call education.
*The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley, Parent's National Education Union 1960, page 162.
** http://amblesideonline.org/PR/PR03p092MotherCulture.shtml
3 comments:
I love that Charlotte Mason quote. It is so true! I can feel so dull compared to when I was in college, constantly reading and thinking through so many things. For the first two years of motherhood, I hardly read at all besides the Bible. I got a lot of handiwork done, but I felt like my mind was getting slower and slower. What a blessing a good book can be :)
Thanks for the submission!! I'm so glad you did it :)
Hey, that's really a neat idea that the carnival is like a modern Parent's Review magazine.
And thanks for the wikipedia definition. Culture is influential which shows how influential a little time for mother culture is for our dear little kids watching us.
What a great post on Mother Culture! I have been trying to add a little bit in my schedule lately as I see an increased "freshness" in my attitude when I do! Thanks for sharing this post!
Be Blessed,
Brittany
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