Our Charlotte Mason Pond

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 Our Charlotte Mason Pond

Charlotte Mason would have loved my pond. It's only two blocks from my house. The pond has salmon, river otters, blue herons, bald eagles, and a huge variety of ducks and geese. The park will sometimes even see visiting wildlife: coyotes, rabbits, racoons, and more. When we moved here, I thought I would spend hours at the pond with my children doing nature studies. I bought some fabulous books about nature studies that I loved:

A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison



 

More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison



 

The pond is just a few yards from Puget Sound. I fantasized about oceanography units and marine biology studies. I bought great books for a Marine Biology unit:

The Seaside Naturalist: A Guide to study at the Seashore by: Deborah A. Coulombe


 

 

Marine Biology Coloring Book


National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Seashore Creatures.



 

I dreamed of examining algae under a microscope and I was positively giddy about the ducklings. I was all set up to encourage my children so they would delight in nature studies and learn naturally in the great outdoors. Except there was one problem...it didn’t happen that way at all!

My boys would whine and complain the whole time we did nature studies. They loved physical exertion and didn’t mind getting out for a bike ride or a swim, but they didn’t want to just “sit there and look at stuff.” All they wanted to do was read books and ride bikes. It’s one thing to focus on delight directed studies, but what about driving “non-delightful” studies? What’s a Charlotte Mason style mom to do?

I finally had to conclude that the “delight” in delight directed learning was about them, not me. My learning style is not the same as their learning style. My interests are not their interests. I had to let go of the fabulous nature studies and focus on the ways my children learned instead. If they loved books... I'd let them have books.

My children are grown now and it's just me and my husband at home. We frequently walk to the pond and the beach, and enjoy our nature studies together. He doesn’t whine at all! You see? Success is just a matter of time!

What are your favorite Charlotte Mason style books in your homeschool? Please share in the comments!

Please note: This post was originally published in February 2012 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.