Giving Up Distractions: Homeschooling Resources

Today we are continuing the series on giving up distractions for Lent. In the last post I discussed the distraction of researching homeschooling methods and advice and recommended paring down your membership in Facebook homeschooling groups and the general online searching of blogs and the like. I emphasized choosing a method and sticking to it, pulling focus and buckling down. Proceeding with confidence.

The reason that I want to touch some more upon this topic is that a few days ago I received Seton Home Study's catalogue in the mail. I am on their mailing list because we use some of their books. The catalogue was glossy, colorful, and oh-so-enticing! I started to fantasize a little. How easy it would be to switch entirely to Seton, maybe even get the lesson plans. Wouldn't this be so much simpler than creating my own Charlotte Mason curriculum and schedule? My friends, the grass always does look greener on the other side.

Then I started thinking about Catholic Heritage Curricula, and how their program is a more "gentle" approach and can be used in the CM style. At least that's what they say, but I have my doubts about the reality of using an open-and-go program in its entirety while authentically adhering to the CM philosophy. I went online to find discussions comparing Seton with CHC and which program people like better. Was this helpful? Of course not. Everyone has an opinion, a preference, or really no idea what they want to do. But maybe I should pick up a spelling program, the devil on my shoulder whispered. I looked at the spelling book samples at the CHC website, as I have done a number of times. Each time I decide that, no, this is not going to be helpful. We just need to keep following CM's method for language arts consistently, as it does work! Sure, we can use a few carefully selected books from Catholic homeschooling publishers within our CM curriculum, but we can't have our cake and eat it too.

It is so tempting to add just one more thing, and sometimes there is indeed a gap that needs to be filled. However, could you fill it with a library book? Or maybe you already have a book in your home that you can use. For example, we've been using the Nature Anatomy book that Beezy got for Christmas. I found that it does not give enough breadth of information, so we need a second resource. I've used both Anna Comtock's Handbook of Nature Study and A Story Book of Science (Fabre), which we own. Another great book that I forgot we had until today is a Reader's Digest publication, ABC's of Nature: A Family Answer Book that I picked up at a library book sale. And of course you can always find great science stuff for kids online.

All of this is to say that we have to stop trying to reinvent the wheel. We need to give up this distraction of self-doubt when it comes to homeschooling, and this addiction to unnecessarily acquiring curriculum books and resources. Sometimes we just need a refresher course on how to approach a particular subject. Since I was feeling "wobbly" today about science, I went to the cabinet in which I keep my homeschooling resource books and pulled out Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss and reread the section on science (nature study).

These insecurities and impulses to assuage them will come up. Don't beat yourself up over it. Stop and reflect upon the root of the problem. Why are you doubting your chosen method? Why do you think you need another book (or to do yet another online search), either for yourself or for your child's curriculum? Perhaps you simply need to go back and revisit a topic or subject, remember why you chose to do things this way in the first place, and figure out what information you may need to proceed in the right direction.

For instance, in the Nature Study example I gave, I have just been feeling like I want it to be more vital and living. Soon the weather will allow for more nature walks, and there will be all kinds of new growth to observe. Since The Story Book of Science's selections lead into each other, it is difficult to choose a particular topic at random. Therefore, I'm going to proceed in it from where we last left off and use Nature Anatomy as a supplement, which contains lovely illustrations and succinct bits of information.  I want to have more drawing incorporated into Beezy's nature notebook, and Nature Anatomy has selections for use in this area as well. So this is how I want to pare down our nature studies, though of course I can use one of the other books as a need arises. I want to relax and allow for schole, the classical concept of learning as leisure.

And as for that lovely Seton catalogue? Before it could drive me crazy, I tossed it into the recycling!

Remember, whatever our grand plans, we can only carry them out one day at a time. Just do today and let tomorrow worry about itself.  From Matthew 6:

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

Summer Declutter

Hear me now, oh, thou bleak and unbearable world
Thou art base and debauched as can be
And a knight with his banners all bravely unfurled
Now hurls down his gauntlet glory
I am I, Don Quixote, the Lord of La Mancha
My destiny calls and I go
And the wild winds of fortune will carry me onward
Oh, whither soever they blow
Whither soever they blow, onward to glory I go!

One of the speakers at the IHM homeschooling conference I attended in May was Colleen Billing, who runs her own company for home organization called Peaceful Interiors. Charlotte Mason wrote that education is "an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life." Atmosphere is a full one third of a child's education. So we can deduce that our homes need to be clean, well-organized, and beautiful. Colleen reminded us that our God is a God of order; that we are created with hearts that crave and desire order. Decluttering our homes is paramount for providing a Catholic CM education!

Home organization is not merely utilitarian; it is spiritual. What we see on the exterior tends to reflect what is going on with the interior life. And we are affected spiritually by the quality of our surroundings. As I have written about before, Marie Kondo, in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, goes so far as to say that once we have cleared our clutter, we will be able to uncover our life's purpose!

But decluttering takes time, and time is a luxury that many homeschooling families do not possess. Of course, "discipline" comes right after atmosphere in the CM motto, and by discipline Charlotte meant habit formation. With good habits, your children should not be accumulating clutter. They ought to be in the habit of picking up after themselves and keeping their rooms and possessions tidy. Encouraging them to give unused and unloved items to charity is a great practice to instill. In the same vein, we adults need to model good habits. There is one room in my home in which I have failed in this regard dismally.

Colleen suggested that we choose one room and work on it from start to finish. She shared that the average room takes between four and twelve hours to declutter! So if you are wondering why you can never get that Terrible Room under control, most of the problem is likely that you haven't taken enough time to diligently put in the necessary hours.

My Terrible Room is part of the master bedroom suite, separated from the sleeping quarters by a set of wooden French doors. I know, I am a lucky woman! This room contains my husband's dresser and his closet. The rest of it is my stuff. My dressing table, a bookcase, and a cabinet. Multiple storage boxes and 3,000 magazines.

Marie Kondo says that before you can organize anything, you must clear out the clutter. She counsels us to touch each object and ask ourselves, "Does this bring me joy?" That is the entire criteria. Believe it or not, you can do this with books and magazines without even looking inside. Colleen adds that we should question whether we use the object on a regular basis, meaning at least yearly. This criteria can work with items which hold no sentimental value. Luckily sentimental items are the last things that we declutter in Marie's method. Again, the bringing of joy gets the last word.

Colleen recommends designating a specific time to work on decluttering and burying your phone and computer away from yourself. Marie admonishes us to get to it and do it all at once, rather than the proverbial "a little at a time". She promises that if you declutter your entire home in one fell swoop, you will have such great practice in making decisions about what stays and what goes that you will never have to go through this decluttering process again! I would add that we have to keep up those good habits we have established in our children and ourselves. Marie insists that we must begin with our own stuff, and no one else in the family can help us decide. Since most of us are on summer break from homeschooling lessons, the time is now to get it done!

A couple of final notes on the spiritual side of this topic. Colleen recommended John Michael Talbot's book, Simplicity. Our homes are like little monasteries. Monasteries are very simple but very beautiful. Come up with a vision for your home. Go from room to room and write it down. Dream a little bit. She was also very enthusiastic about flylady.net for additional tips.

It might feel like you are dreaming the impossible dream, but perhaps it is, after all, not so difficult so slay that windmill.

Tea Time & More on Loop Scheduling

After reflecting upon my new loop schedule for our Charlotte Mason curriculum, I decided to take "Tea Time" out of the Humanities loop and put it into its own category. (See previous post on loop schedules.) There were of couple of reasons for this. First, I realized that I had left out one of our books, The Care & Keeping of You, which we are using to cover health, a subject required by the state of Ohio. I don't want to have more than 5 items in a particular loop. My loops are all full!

The other reason is that I don't want to feel any pressure to work Tea Time in on a regular basis. I started thinking, anxiously, about how I would have to make sure we had some tasty baked goods to eat, and that I would need to ensure getting those subjects on that list accomplished. The last thing I want to associate with Tea Time is stress! Truth be told, we already have plenty in our current fall term. I recently came across this sage advice from Nancy Kelly: Keep cutting back until there is peace in your home. This was such a timely godsend! I realized that I could not fit poetry and Spanish into the current term, and that I should put those noble subjects off until winter.

Yet with Tea Time, I can perhaps include a little of those things that are well worth doing but that would overload our regular schedule, saving them for when I have time or when the mood strikes! It can be an occasional treat. Tea Time is a popular practice among CM home educators. It's a warm and leisurely event, imbued with culture. You can break out your fine China, have tea (or cocoa or whatever suits your fancy), arrange a pretty bouquet, and relax with your children. In addition to Spanish and poetry, I have music, correspondence, baking, and handicrafts on the list. You could read a delightful classic novel to your kids just for the pleasure of it, listen to an audio book, pray the Rosary together, write letters to Grandma, or work on your knitting. The possibilities are endless. The key is to enjoy spending time together doing something fun and enriching, but without the academic strings attached.

Tea time could be held at the traditional 4:00 p.m. of the English, or you could make it a special brunch with French toast or pancakes and call it "morning time". Some mothers like to have a "morning basket" in which to keep activities for such occasions. Some do Tea Time daily, making it the core of their homeschooling. Others have it once a week or only occasionally. You don't have to provide gourmet offerings, either. A simple plate of sliced apples, peanut butter, cheese, and crackers would do the trick. Do you have Tea Time in your home? How do you like to celebrate it? And that's exactly the perfect word for it--celebration. A celebration of family, of life, of learning, and of rest. Treat yourself and your children to Tea Time now and again, and discover its simply abundant treasures.