A List of Attainments for the Homeschool Mother inspired by Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason, the beloved British educator, gave us timeless wisdom for teaching our children, but tucked within her writings is an even more profound truth: education is a life.
If you’ve ever read her famous List of Attainments for a child of six or twelve, you know how gently ambitious she was for children: she expected them to love poetry, keep nature notebooks, know birds and trees by name, recite Scripture with expression, and delight in handicrafts and music.
But what about us ? The mothers who rise early, pour the tea, gather the books, and sit beside small souls as they grow? What should we be attaining? What habits and graces are worth tending in our own hearts? For years I’ve been reflecting on what attainments Miss Mason would have us achieve in our motherhood, and I think I’ve come up with something she would be proud of.
Today, I want to share a gentle List of Attainments for the Homeschool Mother , inspired by Miss Mason’s original lists, but written for you, May it remind you that your soul is worth nourishing, too.
To cultivate a habit of daily time in living books and Scripture for her own nourishment.
To be able to narrate ideas clearly, both to children and in conversation with other adults, to speak well and listen well.
To observe nature closely and keep her own nature notebook, noticing beauty and wonder daily.
To maintain a commonplace book, collecting quotes, prayers, poems, and ideas that stir her heart and mind.
To sing or hum a hymn or folksong each day, for herself as much as for her children.
To practice a handicraft or creative art for her own delight and refreshment.
To cultivate a habit of thoughtful mothering: to pause and consider each child as a person, not merely a pupil.
To know the names and habits of a handful of local birds, trees, and flowers, to live in affectionate relationship with her surroundings.
To hold a simple knowledge of history, geography, and the flow of ideas, enough to delight in learning alongside her children.
To order her days with a measure of calm and beauty creating an atmosphere where truth, goodness, and beauty can flourish.
To develop skills in gentle discipline, wise counsel, and patient guidance growing in motherly authority that rests on love and consistency.
To seek and enjoy fellowship with other mothers, sharing the journey with kindness, encouragement, and humility.
As Charlotte Mason herself reminds us:
“If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children when they are overdone, we should have happier households. Let the mother go out to play!”
So, go out to play today, even if only for a few minutes. Pick up a poem, watch a bird, sing a song, or sit with a friend over tea.
Your children will thank you for it. And you’ll feel more refreshed and nourished as well.
