A List of Attainments for the Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Father
When Charlotte Mason first penned her formal attainments for children, she offered parents a practical picture of what a flourishing childhood might look like—habits and skills to nurture, not through pressure, but through daily opportunities for growth. Many of us, as mothers, have found inspiration in adapting her vision for ourselves, creating lists of “formal attainments” that remind us to cultivate beauty, wisdom, and joy in our own lives.
But what about the fathers?
Most homeschool dads are not the primary teachers at home, yet their presence shapes the entire atmosphere of family life. They may spend their days at work outside the home, but their evenings, weekends, and even their quiet support behind the scenes carry a weight that can’t be overstated. Many dads wonder how they can practically take part in this Charlotte Mason way of life without feeling like they need to duplicate everything their wives are doing.
This list is for them, and for you, the mother who longs to invite your husband into the joy of a living education. It’s not another to-do list or burden, but rather a gentle picture of what it might look like for a father to flourish as a learner, leader, and companion in the great adventure of homeschooling.
A Living Picture of Fatherhood
The homeschool dad does not be a scholar, craftsman, or saint to embody these attainments. They are simply a vision, a gentle picture of what it might look like for a father to grow as a learner, a leader, and a companion in the great adventure of education.
Charlotte Mason reminded us that education is “an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” These attainments help paint a picture of that life as it might take root in the heart of a father, for the blessing of his children and the flourishing of the whole home.
