The Best Vacation Book

I told you a bit about our wonderful trip to Florida, but there was so much more to tell. We are a "driving" family. We drive everywhere! Our kids have always traveled very well by car and it's somewhat of a family tradition to make car trips an adventure. We are known to stop spontaneously when seeing historic signposts and hours in the car have rarely distressed us. This trip was 18/hrs one way. So round trip, plus four days poolside/beachside gave me lots of reading time. Granted, not all of it went wholly un-interrupted, yet it was quality time to read! Time, I'm not likely to get again (in that quantity) anytime soon.

I've been carrying Karen Andreola's book, "A Charlotte Mason Companion" around with me for weeks. I'd read a paragraph here and there and underline a thought, yet I couldn't really sink my teeth into its content more than being totally enthralled with the "idea". We know from Charlotte Mason that "ideas" are pretty vital.

So now I finally had time to read. Amazingly, I almost didn't take the book with me, but I'm so glad I did! Inspiration and excitement came from every passage and even the chapters I'd initially skipped (while treating this book as a reference) touched me and gave me a fresh perspective.

The fact that we'd already begun applying many of the CM principles in recent weeks, just made the concepts more appealing. I no longer needed to be convinced of the truth of Charlotte's ideas. The fact that this would be the best educational concept for our family, added to the consistent teaching of Biblical Principles, can't be denied. My reading and processing of this information was further advantaged by discussions with my husband as I read. He'd seen the difference that just changing our schedule has accomplished, so he was easy to convert. His insights into our children always encourage me and help to refine my viewpoint.

I think one of the ideas that struck me most was regarding atmosphere in the home. Karen says,

"How much influence the world has over our children really depends on what standards we set at home--the standards by which the chidren are accustomed to measure things--and the strength of the family ties."

Standards are not just about discipline and obedience, but about habit. In layman's terms, what we let our children get away with. Believe me! I've had my share of telling, retelling, and telling again to say with authority that it does not build character or relationships. It does cause consternation and grief for the Mama. Training our children in basic disciplines of diligence and listening will most assuredly change the atmosphere of any home!

I always tell my friends how strongly I believe that God gives us everything we need to homeschool. I know that He is making a way for us to better mold and train our children to glorify Him, not just now, but always. Like any journey into the seemingly unknown, we must keep our eyes on the light--the Light of the World--so that our narrow path can be more easily illuminated.

I could tell you so much more about this book! I'm sure you'll hear it referred to often if you hang around here much. I highly recommend it and hope that you don't wait for a long car trip and vacation to read it.