Why Short Lessons Work in a Charlotte Mason Education

How many times, during a homeschooling day, have you found yourself still trying to push through to finish each 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 not only is your spouse on the 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 school this morning are still waiting to be thrown in the dryer or hung on the clothesline. Your children 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, on your spouse’s drives, honking happily when you see your children playing outside. You’ve had a long, hard, busy day at the office, and you’re looking forward to a good home-cooked meal. He walks in, looks around, sees the turmoil 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 doesn’t know what’s wrong, much less what he can do, or should do, to help her situation. To top it off, he is 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” in a variety of subjects throughout each day. Not only is it a HUGE help to keep parents from being 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. However, ultimately, it is 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 the child’s comprehension levels fixed and alert. Second, her son has a limited attention span for any subject she can absorb without overloading herself. 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 simple and short lessons.

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