Secular Charlotte Mason

"The person who can live upon his own intellectual resources and never know a dull hour (though anxious and sad hours will come) is indeed enviable in these days of intellectual inanition, when we depend upon spectacular entertainments pour passer le temps." p. 303, A Philosophy of Education. 

This concept tends to be a serious matter of contention at our house.  What do you all think of it?

I would take it one step further. If you are unafraid to be alone, then you will never be unhappy (for long).  Many of us are never alone even when no people are near.  The telephone, computer and television keep us company.  We should all want to grow to a point where we could be happy alone with our thoughts and ingenuity (and books! ha!).  Humans aren't meant to be alone but it sure is a nice to know it can be done....

You know, something my dad said has got me thinking.  I was raised in a rural area where it was just expected that children would learn to fill the hours with their own activities. Bassman, on the otherhand, grew up in the city (inner city at that) and his family really emphasized being entertained.  Do you think there is a geographical component to this concept? What has been your experiences? Just wondering.

Interesting. It could have to do with the amount of freedom a child can safely have and geography would play a part in that. I have friends with tiny yards and their kids are in organized activities.  We have a big yard and I let them run.  I think what CM is referring to is books feeding the imagination but I remember reading that she said books alone aren't enough.  With her emphasis on nature study and masterly inactivity, I can't imagine that she would advocate children being entertained.

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My oldest child is rather independent. When I tried doing craft projects with him,for example, he tells me how to do it. So I assist or leave him alone to create.  As we read more books, I can see those stories shaping his imaginative play. As for geography, I'm very thankful we have a big fenced yard and reasonably safe neighborhood.  I know the quote isn't about nature deficit, but I think nature (great outdoors) has something to do with shaping the ability to "never know a dull hour." 

This is a really interesting quote.  For us, my boys have always been able to keep themselves busy and we have lived in the city and also the country. Although I have to say when we did live in the city it was more of a controlled kind of play, play dates at the park etc.. where now we live in the country they are free to play outside on our property, but even then I still need to keep a watchful eye for animals etc.. my boys have imaginations that run wild.. I mean wild.. my 9 yo believed he was a lepruchan (sp, sorry)  because he ears were a bit pointy.. lol or perhaps he was considering he was an elf.

I do have one reflection on this which I am even surprised by.. but when the boys were in Public School, and they would come home they would plop down on the couch and watch tv and play video games.. after our first year of homeschooling, I noticed the tv was shut off more and more and more and in our second year it barely went on except for favorite shows and of course, history and animal planet things we watched... they read so much more and draw more and listen to much more music.. etc.. it is like it unlocked something, and just thinking of it makes me smile to myself.

They are find their own likes and dislikes, away from peer pressure. They are now more free to explore things that perhaps they wouldnt have the time to do before when going to school.

I honestly can hardly ever say that for us, there are very few dull hours .

I want to come live at your house Tracey!  Your kids are doing what I want my kids to do lol (my pointy earred daughter often pretended to be a fairy or an elf too lol).  Mine still go to screens first and books second and projects third and outside last. ARG! I like to blame Bassman and his high tech influence lol. Some summers I actually have to force the kids  to have a screen free month (we are in one now--no computer for pleasure only schoowork which means they are not really using the computer right now).  I do this to remind them that there are things to do that don't require electicity lol. I suspect once our craft room is set up the girls will spend a lot more time in there.  They have learned to never tell me they are bored lol (Tide informed me of this yesterday). Instead they go to the craft closet for project ideas (KG is currently teaching herself how to carve a box and Tide is teaching herself how to handsew a hoodie dress). When Bassman complains about being bored the kids will reply with something like, "How can you be bored?! There are all these books to read." or "How can you be bored?!  We always have paper and pencils for drawing.". I think part of Bassman's boredom issue is that he always wants to do something interactive with other people but the kids and I tend to choose solitary activities or side-by-side activities during our freetime.  I think he imagines hours of sitting around playing music as a family and that just doesn't happen even though we have a houseful of instruments. I do wish my kids chose to be outside more but I have to agree that our yard is rather boring in it's current set-up.  Now that the chickens are free ranging the kids will go outside to watch or play with them so there is hope. Eventually our guinea pigs will be replaced with Angora rabbits which will get KG outside even more since the rabbits will be neighbors to the chickens.

Hmm. Since it doesn't appear to be a rural/city factor I'm now wondering if it is an introvert/extrovert thing.  The people in my house least able to entertain themselves, as my mom calls it, are more extroverted than the rest of us. The most introverted of us never complain about boredom and also read the most. Hmmm.  Now you all have got me thinking (always a dangerous thing to do lol).