Monday 15 June 2009

Charlotte Mason and Nature

Every so often I read a little more about Charlotte Mason. This is what I found today:

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-mason.htm

Until I read the piece above I hadn't realised that she had suffered from depression/a breakdown. It makes so much sense that she turned to nature and perhaps found solace there. I'm guessing on this. So being in daily contact with nature may help the home educator as well as the children on different levels.

I have 2 indoor children, but we observe the wildlife indoors too, bugs which fly around the lights at night, slug trails sometimes, dead bees, flies and bees needing to be let out of windows, spiders I catch and release outdoors (I am the champion spider catcher). Our visiting cat simply walks in and goes to sit beside H.

Even driving to the station each day means that we check which field the sheep are in, see the seagulls come inland when the weather is bad, look at how the steam from our power station rises right up to form neat clouds when there is no wind or smell the manure if it has just been spread. There is so much nature to look at and talk about briefly. Because I have got into the habit of noting down details in a desk diary each day, I make a point of searching for new things to pay attention to.

2 comments:

  1. Hello! I've been catching your blog.
    We are autonomous-learners/home educators. Also blessed with an Aspie child.
    I have been greatly influenced by Charlotte-Mason and also a bit by Waldorf for many years now. (finding a balance between the two that teeter between our own way of looking at life).

    I have and entire collection of Mason books I am MORE than happy to share! Can mail to you or meet up and exchange. Whichever is easier.

    I had a spider make her home outside my home-office window last year....and I can't tell enough how 'connected' I was to this creature.....just watching her do her thing every day (whilst I was on my boring conference calls for work). She eventually met her demise naturally....with a smudge still there where her 'nest' was. I'm an absolute Lunatic hoping this year for a new spider to make this same spot their home.
    Kudo's to Charlotte Mason! I'm happy to share these countless books I have (it's a collection...all in paperback)...just let me know easy mailing, or meetup!
    Kind regards,
    Louise

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Louise

    Do you know how I can contact you without either of us giving out details on this public space?

    I hadn't thought of this possibility when I set this blog up!

    S (my real initial)

    ReplyDelete

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