Working Myself Out of a Job
I’ve nearly worked myself out of my homeschooling job. Most of my homeschooling days involve the question “Have you done math today?” and an occasional “That’s enough basement tennis” reminder.
Otherwise, my final student is quite independent, and I’m not involved with her work.
But I do still want to be present and available.
For a few years now my participation has been less and less. Some narrations, some Morning Time, but mostly a lot of “just be available” time that I need to fill with interruptible activities.
In January and February, for the last number of years, there was at least the planning and book selection part to be done: paying for foreign language and science classes and choosing the right biography or college course. But my youngest is a Senior this year, and there’s no planning for 2025-2026.
Woe is me.
I have good systems in place by now, so the house is generally clean enough. We eat regular meals at a reasonable time. We pay the bills. These things just don’t take as much time as when toys were strewn about, and I had to do all the laundry. But the kids don’t strew toys (shoes, on the other hand) and they’ve been responsible for their own laundry for years. Some things just get easier.
I like to think, though, that I have also been a student of my homeschool. I have been learning for these 15+ years alongside my students.
In the Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley, she retells a story:
On my arrival at Ambleside, I was interviewed by Miss Mason, who asked me for what purpose I had come. I replied: “I have come to learn to teach.” Then Miss Mason said: “My dear, you have come here to learn to live.” pg. 60
I can say this with my heart: my interests and desires have been re-formed as much as my children’s have been formed because Miss Mason taught me about Atmosphere, Discipline, and Life.
So, what can I do while being generally available to my student and my college students? I’m brainstorming a list that will maybe get me off my phone, which, to be honest, is the easiest distractor.
Read. There are more books to be read!
My own keeping journals from that reading.
Write some blog posts (is that narration?)
Nature walk. Nature Journal.
Find and try some new recipes.
Text or write cards to friends.
Pray.
Prep for my Plutarch co-op class.
Handicrafts - I have a languishing embroidery project.
Serve extended family and church family.
What other ideas do you have?
When you are the main driver and coordinator of all the things, it sounds refreshing to someday not have to do all of that, but you get used to the interaction and the direct instruction and when that ends, there’s a sense of loss. The phrase “at loose ends” becomes very real.
Remembering that I, too, can continue learning and that there’s more to the Knowledge of God, Knowledge of Man, and Knowledge of the Universe that I can delve into shakes me into action.
Dawn Garrett 2025
Do you find yourself thinking about topics and wanting to process them through to completion? Us, too. We would like to offer our blog as A Large Room, if you will, of Charlotte Mason topics, written by moms, just like you, about topics we are all interested in.
We would love to hear from you.