Making Charlotte Mason Philosophy Practical | Common Mom | Monthly Live Q+A Call (Patreon Peek)

You've heard me talk about The Commonplace Patreon (which is now called Common House) in every video, but today, you get a peek behind the paywall! I hope you enjoy watching the January live Q+A and that you'll consider joining us before next month's!
*JOIN THE 400 MOTHER-TEACHERS LEARNING TOGETHER*: commonhouse.mn.co/landing/
Questions answered in the live Q+A:
You'll find the answers to the rest of the questions that didn't make the live call in Patreon.
Atmosphere
1. Can you talk about how you “make peace” practically with your kids? Can you speak more on the mother’s thinking love?
2. I’ve listened to your podcast “All Education is Sacred”, and I’ve heard you mention in multiple Q+As about there benign no divide between the secular and sacred. This is very much a new concept for me but one that resonates deeply. Can you elaborate and point to resources?
Discipline
1. What do you do for Lent and Easter? Any resources you live, rhythms you use in your family?
2. Can you please give us more examples of the games you play for habit training? How do you do this in a way that forms them towards obedience rather than towards fun?
Life
1. How do you filter music for your kids? Do twaddle rules apply to music? What resources do you recommend for fun/edifying children’s music? Can you please touch on how to balance a Mason style living when it comes to entertainment? Are there children’s tv shows or movies that have living ideas rather than just twaddle? Do your children ever watch anything?
2. Can you chat more about ordo amoris? How can we grow in love for those things we ought to love but maybe don’t? (Ie. Managing the household, constant serving our families)
Want to learn more? We'd be happy to have you!
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MORE CLASSICAL CHARLOTTE MASON HOMESCHOOLING:
Charlotte Mason Principles Series: • How to Narrate MUSIC &...
THE CMEC: • WHY WE CHOSE THE CMEC!...
Get Your Bearings Series: • Twaddle vs Living Book...
Mother Culture Series: • 6 Books to Read as a (...
Dumb Phone Series: • I bought a dumb phone ...

[@Sara-oi8sj]

Just started listening, and I just wanted to stop and say that you are so well spoken, concise with your language, and easy to listen to. So many great nuggets of information and wisdom without a bunch of off topic rambling. Maybe this is why you are great at podcasting lol. I’m just starting to get into CM. I’ve got a 2.5 and 9 week old. You’re one of my favorite resources so far! I’ll definitely look into joining your patreon.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Thank you for this encouragement, Sara! Speaking can be so one-sided that it feels like I'm going on and on and on. Ha!

[@daniipfeifer]

100% !!!! She is the best !!!! Literally the best information on the subject you will find out there!

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

@@daniipfeifer , thank you for the internet hug!

[@marier402]

“Be who you are and you will set the world ablaze!” St. Catherine of Siena

[@stephanierivka3648]

I love all of what youre saying, "by learning to do math well, you become more like God." To learn to do anything well is to do it to the glory of God. ❤ Keeping a lot of what you've said here, in my own common place.📝 Blessings to you.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Yes! And I love St. Irenaeus' quote: The glory of God is man fully alive, but the life of man is the vision of God. Education should helps us become fully alive.

[@everywherejoy9019]

I am an Orthodox Christian! I converted 38 years ago. I pray you will be able to participated in the Paschal liturgy this year!

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Hello there! Thank you! It's been a lovely year of learning thus far!

[@angelamarie8634]

What is orthodox Christian? I grew up in a Christian home and have heard of Baptist, Pentecostal, Wesleyan, non-denominational… and so on. I haven’t heard of orthodox Christian.

[@AndreaSorial]

"Easter is the holiday of the year" -Amen sister!!!

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

I love you, Christmas, but...

[@jessica_wood]

Okay and I just finished listening and I think you convinced me to join your Patreon. Happy to support you and I got some really fun ideas from this video!

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Woop! We're so happy to have you, Jessica! I think you'll find yourself in good company in there!

[@sarahmarinkovich-durfee4509]

I love your Patreon! You offer so much great information and resources.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

So happy to hear it, Sarah! I always enjoy your questions and insights!

[@travisambers6307]

Thank you so much for this!

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

You're so welcome!

[@ptichkalix]

So happy to hear that you are looking into Orthodox Christianity! Cradle Orthodox here and I always wondered if you were Orthodox as well. Your youtube videos and podcast have given me joy and inspiration during my first year homeschooling. Further up and further in!

[@ptichkalix]

PS C.S. Lewis loved the Orthodox Church :)

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Oh yes. Lewis has a lot of sneaky Orthodox things in his works! I think it's hard to have such a rich imagination and thought life without veering into the older tradition at some point.

[@asheleybroadway]

You are amazing thank you for all you do you are a gift , I’ve learned so much from you . ❤

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Thank God! I'm so glad to hear it.

[@ellenishangry]

I love your advice and tips and tricks! I just subscribed to your website.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Oh lovely! Thank you!

[@jessica_wood]

Just finished Supper of the Lamb and wanting to gift copies to everyone I know. You mentioned it here but he’s so eloquent with how he expresses that Gods goodness is evidenced through the material world, not in spite of it. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for years but not that many thinkers are explicit about it. I think Roger Scruton was the one who initially got me thinking along those lines.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

That book is amazing and serves as my commonplace for itself! Ha! I would have to copy the whole thing by hand to commonplace it's wisdom and wit!

[@sophieseehausen5718]

The part about punching the Enlightenment made me laugh so hard I relistened three times and then wrote it in my Commonplace book!

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Hahaha, that is a true honor.

[@jacobjohannes7123]

I think you would enjoy the book Parenting is Rocket Science. The theme is that we’re building rockets that will one day fly in the Kingdom Fleet. There are opportunities to test fly and rewire up until launch day. It’s the most Charlotte Mason Parenting book that doesn’t mention CM. She gives multiple examples of real parents in every chapter

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

I've never heard of this! But I do love a sneaky CM book.

[@janellewhite8030]

First 😂😂😅 I'm so embarrassed I said that! Also I have listened to Autumn for SO LONG but this is my first comment. Thanks for helping me orient my parenting compass towards glorifying Jesus, Autumn!

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Oh, no! Which one did you say? I say so many myself. And I'm so happy to have you here, Janelle!

[@laurenkwarren]

Do you ever share mistakes you’ve made in be these things as a mom? Or do you feel like your family does these things pretty flawlessly. It can feel intimidating to listen to some of these… we’ve implemented many facets of this advice in our home, but there are still many human parts we fumble with. The spirit is willing, the mind is knowledgeable, but the flesh can be weak and in the chaos of certain days with children, mistakes or deviation from these ideals can definitely be made. Family can be messy even for the best of us. I want to be encouraged and inspired, even reminded, and I definitely am, but it can also be hard to begin a better journey if it feels compared to perfection or a “perfect family”.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Bah! Flawlessly? NEVER. Everything I make (podcast, KZbin, resources) is under the banner "Common" because I am completely common with common children and all the common problems and glories therein. I do share some personal examples (but always hide the gender of the child so no one can figure it out!), yes. I think Common House members would agree that I do not portray a perfect home life but I do pull our collective eyes up to the ideals of truth, goodness, and beauty* in many forms. *Note: I do not pull our eyes to any one particular "ideal" implementation because my home is not your home is not her home is not her home. This is why I don't create for Instagram or anything short form: those snippets, even if shared honestly, often add to a dishonest, "perfect" image that doesn't exist in anyone's house.

[@laurenkwarren]

Thank you so much for your reply! This is encouraging. I’ve had a particularly hard day with a particularly hard little one who’s had a particularly hard journey and it seems to have brought out all of our most human features. It can be hard to see the way forward though the tangles sometimes.. 🙏🏻. I’ve been very inspired by your postings (I don’t have social media, so I only see you here) and thoughts though and long for more of this.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

@@laurenkwarren You might enjoy Common House! It’s certainly a place for moms trying to pursue the great heavenly heights while living humbly in the dirt of earth. Ha! Maybe something was happening generally yesterday in the homes of the world, but I also had a hard day with a hard little having a hard journey. But this, I think, is when Lady Wisdom does her best work: in the struggle. The classical tradition-in all its beauty and embodied theology-continues to give me the next step forward or another peg to grab while leading my kids “further up and further in”. While it could be taken as idealistic perfectionism, I really think it’s a gift of wonder which keeps us moving in the struggle. Peace to you today!

[@yolandatejedor214]

For some reason I could see you becoming orthodox 😊 God bless ☦

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Thank you, Yolanda!

[@akieffer]

As you are inquiring about Orthodoxy what have been your favorite resources? Do you ever feel that the Easternness of Orthodoxy clashes with the Westernness of classical thought? I've been VERY slowly reading through Timothy Ware's Orthodox Church. Curious if there's other stuff you recommend or have enjoyed while exploring Orthodoxy.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

I actually think that there's more of a continuity to the two than you'd expect! Classical education is based on a pre-modern view of the world and man (It's old world!) and the Orthodox understanding is similar in ways that get into the bones and soul of the thing. It's hard for me to fully articulate as I'm still learning so much! As for resources, I highly recommend you visit a parish and get connected with a priest/in an Inquirers Class or Catechumen Class. Read within the community so you can discuss with others and not isolate into individual interpretations!

[@akieffer]

@@thecommonplacehomeschool Thanks!

[@akieffer]

I've been wondering about twaddle in movies/TV. Especially given some of Postman's thoughts. I enjoy cinema as an art and Storytelling form, so I don't want to get rid of it entirely, but I also am very aware of the bad aspects of the medium and a lot of modern stories on screen.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

I think the principles we apply to books also apply to movie and music!

[@akieffer]

When did you start habit training your kids? Is there an age when it's obvious they're old enough to understand and obey?

[@akieffer]

Also, do you have favorite resources on habit training?

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

We're doing a whole self-paced course, Habits 101, in Common House right now! And we have talked about habits in so many of our monthly Q+As! I do have a number of podcast episodes in season 1 that discuss habits too!

[@tiffweilbacher6206]

I am that mom who is constantly having to deal with other moms in regard to my comments about their choices. 🤦🏻‍♀️ It’s really hard in this electronic world, because all of my kids’ friends (yes, even in our homeschool coop and at our place of worship) are absorbed in electronics! They are constantly playing video games and watching twaddle videos, and even inappropriate videos and games. I really am not judgmental - but I do see the fruits of this stuff in those children’s lives. And my boys can also see the difference, and they see their friends’ behavior, which gives me plenty of opportunities to remind them “Yep, and THAT is why we don’t watch that, listen to that, play that, etc.”

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

It's a thing! But there is a difference between judging people and judging ideas, practices, etc. We have to make judgments on what forms us toward or away from God! (I don't think people realize this sometimes!)

[@bristolparade4520]

Yes, judgment is a part of discernment, right?

[@tiffweilbacher6206]

@@bristolparade4520 it sure is! But I think it’s like Autumn said - you’re judging the deeds, not the person. I pray for my friends to have better discernment for their children, and I encourage them to be more wholesome and focus on good and beautiful things. They know I’m very straight forward, and sometimes they listen to my advice, but other times they agree to disagree.

[@nellytorba8737]

I love your content and it’s so enriching and informative. But I do have to disagree about the part where you spoke about making the children ask for forgiveness/forgive their sibling. I am A mother of 5 now, my eldest just turned 12. What I have noticed as the years go by and the kids are getting bigger is that they are now “policing” one another CONSTANTLY making each other say sorry or coming to me to tell me that “so and so doesn’t want to apologize” or “so and so doesn’t want to say I forgive you”. And it’s actually causing more resentment and bickering. I realized that you can make a child say or do anything, but you can’t change a child’s heart to want to do it out of conviction. I have stopped telling them when they need to apologize. I do still remind a child privately that they owe their sibling an apology or that they should be gracious and forgive their sibling. But I don’t make them do it. Let me just say it has been much more peaceful in the home since. Even when my Three year old hurts another sibling all I say it “ouch! You really hurt your brother” and the three year old goes to apologize on his own!

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Interesting! There is always more than one angle to how we parent, right? I'll be thinking through what other sides need to be modeled, cultivated, and inspired!

[@JA-vv8wy]

Did you say Pete Seeger? Apparently there are several folk CDs on Amazon composed by different people with the last name Seeger

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

I said Pete! But we also love Mike and Peggy Seeger's folk song album too!

[@elizabethjohnson7071]

Do you not think that making them put the shirt on and laughing while they struggle to accomplish chores is mocking them and make humor of their sin? Just something to think on. An alternative option, something I do with my children when they are not getting along, is giving them the task of putting a puzzle together but they cannot talk at first which gives them time to calm down and reflect while also making the puzzle extra challenging. Then they may communicate to solve the puzzle. By this time they are more level headed plus they are so grateful to be able to work together. It makes them realize what they took for granted; a peaceful relationship.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Love the puzzle idea-thank you! I laugh because they also are laughing! I wouldn't laugh at a child struggling in pain. (Struggling to fold a towel while laughing together is not the same thing.) If I can help them back toward fellowship with laughter, though, I will always first try that approach. As my children are younger, they laugh easily, and attempting to "move as one" in the shirt quickly brings the giggles. (And it really is a hilarious sight.) I don't make light of sin but I also believe there is a difference between childishness and foolishness, and, in the early years, it is easier to draw a child towards the path of life with honey (sweetness, laughter, fellowship, connection, etc.). I think folding towels and completing a puzzle point to the same Reality: fellowship.