Mother Culture is the term that Charlotte Mason used to describe how teaching mothers keep what they are learning for themselves stimulating and fresh. Of course as mothers teaching the Charlotte Mason way, we are joyful and inspired by the same things our children are...but we have deeper learning to do as well. There are things this mother has never done that would be fun to do.
Do you find your day of teaching school (or working or being a mother) drudgery? What are you doing to keep the life of mothering interesting and new? Are you falling into the groove of just being the same person you were when you graduated from college?
Here's what I do: READ
3+...I always have at least three different books that I am reading at a time. I tend towards books that are helpful for parenting, but I try to have at least one novel going at all times. I enjoy authors Elizabeth Goudge, Rumer Godden, Miss Read to name a few. I also try to find a specific passage in the bible to read in an ongoing basis. I also pick one spiritual type book to read alongside our school year. This year I'm reading Elisabeth Elliots Keeping a Quiet Heart.
So my stack looks like this today:
Bible bookmarked to the gospel of John
China Court by Rumer Godden
Keeping a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot
The Mindful Child by Susan Greenland
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Ina May Gaskin
Family Cloister by David Robinson and some other Benedictine rule books....
Some of the books I've found inspiring in the past year include: Unbroken by Hillenbrand, Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by Fiona Carnavon, The Bird in the Tree by Goudge, Jungle Pilot by Russell Hitt.
Besides reading, I also try to add some other culture type things to my plate. We listen to quite a bit of classical music in this house (four violin players), so I am always on the look out for new music that might bring a variety of sound into our home. With our study of Handel this Term, I'm putting all sorts of things on our play list and humming about as we nest for the baby to come.
I also try to learn new HANDICRAFTS. I'm spending time working on water coloring. I do enjoy calligraphy, but can't seem to get children to stay off my lap for my hands to be steady. I spent time this month with some friends doing Pysanky egg work in anticipation for Easter (yes, already!). I'm working on a goose egg this time. It will be an egg in shades of blue and white.
What do you find to grow in your learning as a person? Are you picking up any new ways of learning for yourself as a mother and wife?