I’ve recently finished knitting another pair of socks, and it got me thinking about Mother Culture, handcrafts, and the importance of mothers having interests of their own.
Charlotte Mason famously described education as an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. We spend a great deal of time considering what this means for our children, but I think it’s worth remembering that education is a life for us mothers, too!
The early Charlotte Mason movement recognised the importance of Mother Culture, encouraging mothers to continue reading, learning, thinking, and developing their own interests amidst the demands of family life, and what a wonderfully encouraging idea that is!
We are so careful to provide our children with a generous education, rich in good books, beautiful things, interesting ideas, and worthwhile occupations, yet how easily we neglect to offer ourselves the same opportunities.
The Value of Handcrafts
Charlotte Mason valued handicrafts not simply as a way of keeping children’s hands occupied, but as a means of developing attention, patience, skill, and good workmanship. Children were encouraged to make things that were genuinely useful and beautiful, rather than producing work merely for the sake of being busy. Surely there is something here for us mothers, too?
Whether we’re knitting socks, sewing a dress, tending a garden, or learning to embroider, we’re exercising many of those same habits. We’re practising careful attention, developing our skills, overcoming difficulties, and finding satisfaction in work well done.
Handcrafts remind us that we can continue to be learners, that our interests are worth cultivating, and that not every moment of our day needs to be devoted to meeting someone else’s needs, and there is another lovely benefit; when our children see us reading, making, learning, and pursuing interests simply because we love them, they begin to understand that education isn’t something we finish when we grow up. A living education really is a lifelong adventure.
A Little Encouragement
If your own interests have rather disappeared beneath the demands of motherhood, may I encourage you to reclaim a little space for them? You really don’t need an elaborate Mother Culture routine, expensive supplies, or hours of uninterrupted time. Just pick up the book, thread the needle, plant the seeds, knit a few rows. It all adds up. Knitting was invaluable for me when my children were small, as I could pick up my work for just a few moments at a time. I could carry it around in my handbag to meet ups, church, bus journeys etc. And it didn’t require lots of materials or space.
Begin something simply because it interests you, and allow yourself the pleasure of growing in knowledge and skill. We wouldn’t dream of offering our children an education consisting entirely of duties, chores, and responsibilities; we want them to encounter beauty, discover their interests, develop their abilities, and delight in learning.
Mothers deserve a place at that generous feast, too. Education is a life, and ours is still unfolding.
From my home to yours,
