Masterly Inactivity

It’s hot outside, and summer is in full swing. For me, summer has always brought to mind vacations at the beach, lazy days at the lake, and a break from school. In other words, relaxation! One of the many reasons I love Charlotte Mason is her emphasis on the importance of leisure time. “Masterly inactivity,” as she called it, is meant to be time spent doing something to refresh mind, body, and soul. It is recreation at its finest: fun, unscheduled, unstructured time to enjoy life and appreciate the wonders of God. Go on a picnic, take time to read or draw, spend an afternoon at the pool, play hopscotch in the driveway, go fishing, or enjoy an evening bike ride together as a family. There are so many wonderful ways to incorporate a little masterly inactivity in your family’s daily lives . . . and summer is a wonderful time to develop this into a habit!

I often hear homeschoolers joke, “I don’t know why they call it home school, because we’re never home!” It is a blessing that there are so many great options for us homeschoolers these days: piano lessons, sports practice, co-op classes, tai kwon do, play dates, etc. The list goes on and on. All good endeavors, but we must be careful not to take on too many. Charlotte Mason cautions against over-scheduling because too much rushing around causes stress for the parents AND the children. When we learn something new, we need time to “digest” all that knowledge before we can actually apply it, so we should alternate our schoolwork and activities with recreation and rest. Children need “downtime” just like we do; they need time to process new thoughts and ideas. This is exactly why “masterly inactivity” is so important. We must prayerfully consider just how much we can schedule and do before we begin to compromise that valuable leisure time – but keep in mind that “too many” will look different for each and every family.

Charlotte Mason teaches that an essential aspect of masterly inactivity is “good humour––frank, cordial, natural, good humour.” Atmosphere is at least one-third of education, she said, and “the thought that any of our poor words and ways being a daily influence on a child should make the best of us want to hold our breath.” Amen, sister! She goes on to say that a child “breathes in unconscious ideas of right living emanating from his parents.” I don’t know about you, but that scares me a little! Like it or not, we inspire our children. The question is, what do we inspire in them? If we are harried and hurried, we are certainly not at our best. Our attitudes are contagious. When we argue, complain, or speak bitter words, our children learn from that:

“A nervous, anxious, worried mother can’t have an easy, happy relationship with her child. She might be the best mother in the world in all other respects, but all her children will pick up from her when she’s like that is a touch of her nerves, which is the most contagious of bad habits. She’ll perceive her children as grouchy, rebellious, and unmanageable, but she won’t realize that it’s her own fault–not the fault of her actions, but the fault of her mood.”

Ouch! I know I’ve been guilty of this, aggravated about how grumpy my child is when my own bad attitude has actually been the cause of it!

On the bright side, when we have a good attitude, full of praise and gratitude, our children “catch” that, too. So Ms. Mason encourages mothers to go out and play! Every mother, and I think especially the homeschooling mother, absolutely MUST have time to herself. She needs time to revive and refresh her spirit. “Idle time to relax, and a sense of calm leisure in the adults around them is necessary” for children to thrive. That’s right, ladies, Charlotte Mason urges you to enjoy an occasional mom’s night or afternoon out! Heed her wise advice. Participate in some – dare we imagine it – uninterrupted adult conversation! Take some time to read a good book, simply for the sake of enjoyment, rather than for researching curriculum or homeschool methods. Dive into a new Bible study or devotional you love. Go for a stroll, visit an art gallery, or catch up on a few of your favorite blogs. Realistically, some days or weeks might not allow for a whole evening on your own, but a little creative simplification of your schedule should make at least enough time to stroll around the garden, or to enjoy one of my personal favorite activities, savoring a steaming hot cup of tea.

Take time to do whatever refreshes your soul and renews your mind. Listen to the still, small voice of God. Ms. Mason reassures us that “…faith is necessary to full repose of mind and manner. [God] works in ways which it must be our care not to hinder, in the training of every child.” If we are careful to listen, God does give us the wisdom we need to teach our children. And that’s a promise I cling to every day!