A Mother’s Education for summer—an intentional, faith-filled approach to growing your heart, mind, and soul while nurturing your children through simple rhythms, books, and nature.
What if the most important education happening in your home this summer… isn’t your kids’?
What if it’s yours? Not in a back-to-school kind of way, but in a quiet, life-giving, soul-deep kind of way.
I’ve been feeling a pull lately—not to do more but to grow more intentionally.
And I think some of you might be feeling it too.
This page may contain affiliate links. To view my full affiliate link disclosure, click here. There are Amazon affiliate links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I make a small commission from Amazon links in this post. Find our privacy policy, terms of service, and more information about user data by visiting the links above.
A Mother’s Education: A Charlotte Mason Summer
I’ll say this right from the beginning—I am not a Charlotte Mason guru. Not even close.
I didn’t take a mother’s education course, and I couldn’t give you a polished explanation of every part of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy if I tried.
I’m just a mom.
A mom who once held my college education degree and truly thought I was prepared to teach and instruct. As we all learn at some point, education doesn’t end; it just changes. I’ve gone through seasons of really pressing into my own continuing education and seasons where I’ve neglected it.
Not because I didn’t care. But because motherhood is full. Full of children’s education, full of meals and rhythms and long days and little interruptions.
I pretty randomly re-stumbled upon this idea of a Mother’s Education, and it has excited me greatly over the last couple of weeks. I’ve been listening to Podcasts—The New Mason Jar Podcast is inspirational and a wealth of knowledge—and I’m finding that I’m just plain ole’ excited about intentionally continuing my education this summer in some simple ways! We’ve been going through some harder elements of life right now, and as I’ve found that planning my summer 2026 Mother’s Education has brought me excitement, joy, and anticipation!
Not toward doing more—but toward being more intentional. Toward what Charlotte Mason called a mother’s education. I’ve also made a printable for the four categories she emphasizes, so if you are also inspired by this idea, you could plan your own Mother’s Education for summer 2026!
A Gentle Shift Toward Intentional Learning
There’s something deeply encouraging about the idea that a mother’s growth plays a crucial role in her home. Not in a pressured, performative way.
But in a quiet, forming kind of way.
Because the truth is—our children are shaped not just by what we teach them…but by who we are becoming. This is the heart behind Charlotte Mason education—that education is a life lived, not something confined to a formal education.
And this isn’t a new idea—Charlotte Mason actually wrote about this in her volumes and through the Parents’ National Educational Union, where she encouraged what she called a mother’s education… or mother culture.
She even outlined four areas she believed mothers should continue growing in:
- Divinity and theology,
- Physiology and health,
- Mental and moral science,
- Nature lore with the elements of science.
Not as a rigid program—but as a gentle, lifelong pursuit of growth.
And so this summer, I’m stepping into my own version of a mother’s educational course.
Simple. Gentle. Real.
1. Heart: Divinity & Theology
This is where I’m starting—because everything flows from here. Charlotte Mason placed such a strong emphasis on a mother’s spiritual life, which is important to me as well.
Years ago, I was introduced to the Puritan book of poems called The Valley of Vision, and it became a favorite of mine at the time. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve picked it up, and I must have borrowed my copy out because I cannot for the life of me find it, which was a great problem to have because it gave me an excuse to get a leather cover copy, which I’ve secretly always wanted.
These prayers have a way of slowing me down and drawing me back into truth. They pull me out of shallow, distracted thinking and into something deeper—something rooted in real dependence on the Lord.
This isn’t about checking a box.
It’s about abiding. I’ll be using this little book in the wee early morning hours when I get up before my kiddos and have a brief time in scripture and prayer before I clock in for my at-home day job.
“Abide in me, and I in you…” — John 15:4 (ESV)
2. Body: Physiology & Health
This one feels very lived-in for this season of motherhood. So much of my days revolve around feeding people, caring for people, and trying to steward our home well. Charlotte Mason talked about the importance of understanding physiology and health—and how mothers play an important role in the physical health of their families.
And while I’m not diving into anything overly technical, I do want to grow here. I’ve loved this subject for years! I don’t think I can emphasize that enough. I love learning about feeding our families well, so this isn’t too big of a leap for me. I’m always trying to grow in this area, but this summer I want to work slowly through Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I’m not sure exactly how I’m going to work my way through it because it’s so massive and contains so much information. I should have read it years ago, but I always figured I was getting the principles through Podcasts and other smaller books that I was reading.
Not all at once. The book is huge, and I’m currently reading with my church staff The Biblio Diet, which closely aligns with the principles from Nourishing Traditions.
I told my husband recently that I think one of the reasons I get wishy washy with sourcing proper ingredients is that I take on too much at once. This summer, I want to focus on getting our three most-used ingredients sourced correctly. For us, that’s ground beef, milk, and cheese. Then I want to branch out slowly and add more to our list.
We recently found a farm that raises pasture beef and dairy cows. I got to go get 40 pounds of pasture-ground beef a couple of weeks ago, and it was so good. This week, I’m going to head to their main farm, where they have pasture dairy cows, and check out their raw milk. I’ve done raw milk in the past from multiple different farms, but never found one that fit our schedule and needs. I’m very hopeful that this farm might just be our ticket for raw milk! Of course, we have big dreams of having meat and dairy cattle ourselves someday, but that will most likely not happen this summer.
It’s not about doing everything “right.”
It’s about being faithful with what’s in front of me.
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” — 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)
3. Mind: Mental & Moral Science and Education
As a homeschooling mom, it’s easy to put the emphasis on learning for our kids, and for me, I often find it more fun to spend time thinking and planning their education and curriculum. But Charlotte Mason saw a mother’s mind as something worth cultivating, too.
So I picked up Modern Miss Mason by Leah Boden. This book came out in 2023, and I remember listening to her being interviewed on some of the podcasts I like to listen to, but the book never quite got into my hands. I haven’t even opened the book yet, but I chose this one specifically because of the outdoor emphasis, which, of course, would be emphasized in a Charlotte Mason book!
Last summer, I made a goal to visit as many playgrounds with my kids as I possibly could, and it was a blast. The goal was two-fold. It allowed my kids to play, and it allowed me to listen to a long list of audiobooks. This year, I want to emphasize more nature walks and trails, which I think will be possible with my boys’ newfound love of scooters. So these books should be perfect to pair with our trail summer goal.
And I love that it takes Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and brings it into everyday, real-life motherhood.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” — Colossians 3:16 (ESV)
4. Soul: Nature Lore & the Elements of Science
If I’m honest… this might be my favorite one because it doesn’t feel like school. It feels like life.
Charlotte Mason talked about nature lore and the elements of science—not as dry subjects, but as something living, something experienced.
And that’s exactly what I want for our summer.
So we’re leaning into the concepts of the book The Call of the Wild and Free. I don’t even have the book yet, but I have listened to her enough to have a good grasp on what the bulk of the book will be about.
What I love about this book is that it doesn’t just talk about homeschooling—it really calls you back to a different vision of childhood. One that is full of wonder, curiosity, and freedom.
It challenges the old idea that education has to look like a classroom at home, and instead invites us to see the whole world as our classroom.
To let children explore.
To follow their interests.
To read good books.
To spend long, unhurried hours outside.
It’s a philosophy that values joy and awe just as much as knowledge. And that resonates so deeply with me.
Because when I think about the kind of home I want to cultivate, it’s not one that feels rigid or forced. It’s one where learning feels alive.
Where my boys are free to be curious.
Where their questions matter.
Where childhood is protected—not rushed through.
Where we prioritize time outside, good stories, and meaningful rhythms over pressure and performance.
So for us, this looks like:
Slow mornings outside.
Nature walks that turn into adventures.
Bringing books outdoors instead of staying inside.
Letting wonder lead instead of always directing it.
“The heavens declare the glory of God…” — Psalm 19:1 (ESV)
A Summer Invitation
So this is my encouragement to you—not as an expert, but as a fellow mom walking this out:
You don’t need a formal plan.
You don’t need a degree in moral science.
You don’t need to fully understand every part of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy.
You just need to begin.
Pick one or two good books.
Spend time in Scripture.
Get outside with your kids.
Learn something new.
Start small. Start gently. But start intentionally.
Because your growth matters, just like your kids. Your children are watching, absorbing, and becoming alongside you.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” — Colossians 3:16 (ESV)
I don’t have this figured out. I’m not doing this perfectly. But I am leaning in. Into lifelong learning. Into the quiet, steady work of becoming.
And I have a feeling…
This kind of summer—the kind that cultivates the heart, mind, and soul—might be the most meaningful kind of home education we could ever give.
Don’t Forget to Pin for Later!
