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Jan. 26, 2006
Musing on short lessons
Charlotte Mason is an advocate of the short lesson theory... and so am I... or at least for the most part I am.
You see, CM suggests that since children are not able to focus much,
shorter lessons are wiser... and I concur. In my experience,
keeping the lessons short and sweet is a very good idea. Changing the subject frequently is also a good idea!
Howevere, there comes a time in our lives, where the rules do not
apply. And this rule is no exception to that. There are
days when a power struggle ensues... you know, the day your DS or DD
decides that they are NOT going to do this work.
On these days, CM's short lesson rule does not work. You see, Cm
and her teachers were not the parents. Therefore they were not
usually the recipients of the disobedience we have to deal with as
parents, on an almost daily basis. The only reason I add almost to the statement is because there are some albeit, rare, days when there is no power struggle!
On those days when the power struggle involves schoolwork, I realise
that instilling the habit of obedience, and work is far more important
than the idea of the short lesson.
It's a shame really, I do not enjoy those days. It takes an hour to do what would normally take 15 minutes.
Now, the power struggle days are not the same as just plain 'I forgot
to put my brain on when I got up' days. You know the kind of day
I mean... the same kind of day that makes us forget where we put the
keys, or we drive to the grocery store, only to forget the one thing we
really needed there.
Kids have those days too... only they
consist more of 'how do you add again?' kind of questions... and the
idea that it is funny to push your baby sister over if full view of
your parents... completely forgetting said parents might actually punish you for it!
These days, we stick to the short lesson rule... anything not done in
the 15 or 20 minutes set for it, is put aside for another day.
Yes, those are the days that CM's short rule is a valuable tool for the parents!
Sometimes, the hardest and wisest part of being a parent, is knowing the limits you have set, and sticking to them...
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About Me
I'm a 29 year old mother of two, who loves to read, bake, knit and homeschool... You can also read my husband's 'rantings' at the link below ;)
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I am currently having problems blogging here. Please check
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Posted by 
Jan. 26, 2006 - new friend
I look forward to getting to know you!