How many times, during a day of homeschooling, have you found yourself still trying to get on with finishing every subject, that you feel you “have” to finish before you can finish your school day? Before you know it, it’s 3:30…4:00…5:00… And suddenly you realize that it’s not just your spouse who’s on their way home and dinner isn’t ready , but you didn’t even remember to take it out of the freezer, let alone turn it on?
On top of this, your house has become a mess in the meantime, the clothes you put on before going to school this morning are still waiting to be thrown in the dryer or hung on the clothesline. Your kids are cranky and just want to go out and play. You have a headache and you can’t wait to sit down and do absolutely nothing but watch TV. But, in your spouse drives, honking happily when you see your kids playing outside. You’ve had a long, hard, and hectic day at the office, and you’re looking forward to a good home-cooked meal. He walks in, looks around, sees the flurry of things, and then has the nerve to ask, “So what’s for dinner?” At this point, all you can do is sit back and cry. Her husband does not know what is wrong, much less what he can do, or should do, to help her situation. To top it off, he’s afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, no matter how carefully he tries to phrase things. Is ‘school’ over today? If he did. Thank God for that! But was it done with joy, with anticipation, looking forward to what tomorrow will bring? Unfortunately, her answer would have to be “NO!” emphatic.
Well, there are specific reasons why Charlotte Mason felt strongly that it was imperative that children receive “short lessons” on a variety of topics throughout each day. Not only is this a HUGE help so that parents don’t feel overwhelmed, but it also helps you, the parents, to be able to maintain a calm and peaceful learning environment, giving you enough time to meet your daily household needs. Ultimately though, it’s for the good of your children.
Miss Mason has three simple and basic reasons for short lessons when it comes to children. First, the idea that there is a time limit to finish the math lesson or finish the reading keeps a child’s comprehension levels steady and alert. Second, her son has a limited attention span for whatever subject she can absorb without overloading. And third, her son goes through his morning routine without getting bored, tired or exasperated.
Now what better reasons are there than these to continue learning and following more of Charlotte Mason’s wonderful yet simple lessons that can be used in our personal and everyday lives? Go to the Charlotte Mason Made Easy website to see more about short, simple lessons.