Favorite Things: Charlotte Mason and The CMEC
Let's see. I have been homeschooling officially for 8 years. We tiptoed into homeschooling as we didn't want our child to attend all-day Kindergarten. After that we said we'd take it "year by year." However, once I was deep into 1st grade, I proclaimed to my husband I was in it for the long haul. "Even through High School?" "Of course!"
However, due to lack of foresight, I have been playing catch up ever sense, fumbling my way through curriculum and resources, always trying to find that one thing that would make homeschooling actually enjoyable for everyone.
Over the years, I've used quite a variety of resources:
- Math U See
- All About Reading/Spelling
- The Good and the Beautiful
- Charlotte Mason (Ambleside Online and Mater Amabelis)
- Simply Charlotte Mason
- Catholic Schoolhouse
- The Tuttle Twins (books)
- Tan Academy and Story of Civilization (audio)
- The CMEC
- Teaching Textbooks
- and more ...
What I have come to realize is that I have been in a bit of a stress cycle since my first kid was born. I also have self-diagnosed ADHD (the spirally kind). What came easy for some mothers (or at least what came with discipline) was a real struggle for me.
Joining The CMEC
I joined the CMEC in 2022. At first I was so excited, but I soon became overwhelmed with the sheer amount of method to learn. My stress cycle and perfectionism struggled to meet any kind of real planning and I was always reinventing the wheel. I was also really confused how to use the older, partly outdated, books (mostly due to the face I wasn't prioritizing pre-reading).
In Fall 2023 I dropped it all and switched to CSH. That was a real blessing at the time. I needed to clear my head. But as I typically do, instead of finding the gray, I threw the baby out with the bathwater.
Now (winter 2024) I'm in a much better place. I'm out of the stress cycle (see Catholic Mom Calm) and into a place where planning (thanks in part to intermittent fasting) seems doable and even fun. (Learning to take my thoughts captive is also a huge part of this).
So looking forward, looking into 2024/25 and beyond, I plan on sticking with The CMEC, and I wanted to share a few reasons why.
Why The CMEC
1. They follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy
2. They provide everything you need to set up your school year: book lists, book guides, program overview per form.
3. There is a ton of community support: launch meeting, form meetings each term, Mother's Education Course, many other courses on all sorts of topics, a summer retreat, a fall mini-retreat, and more.
4. As a member, I am part of a group of homeschoolers who are all working with the same books, the same ideas. I am not alone.
5. I can reach out for assistance if I'm struggling with a book or method.
6. Two out of the three women who run the CMEC are Catholic. While Charlotte Mason was Anglican and The CMEC does not explicitly provide Catholic content, I trust that the women themselves are educating their own large families with this same material. Celeste also provides a blog post each year with supplemental books on religion and history to provide a Catholic perspective.
If you are looking for a way to educate your children according to Charlotte Mason's philosophy, the CMEC is a great resource to do just that. You can find out more by downloading their welcome packet.
I have found that all that Charlotte Mason taught cannot be grasped in a single week or even a single year. Understanding often requires practice.
I recently listened to an interview of Celeste that I found encouraging. I thought I'd share it for you here. There are also links below!
If you have questions, feel free to email me!
Pax Christi,
Laura
To Dig Further:
- $300/year for the entire family
Simply Charlotte Mason Podcast
A Delectable Education Podcast
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