Often when we think about education, it's easy to think about it in a future mindset.

We're preparing the child for a career, or we're trying to get them ready for further education, or whatever the goal is in the future.

But a Charlotte Mason education is also focused on the here and now.

Let's talk about how Charlotte Mason focuses on that aspect. Welcome to the Simply Charlotte Mason podcast. I'm Sonia Schaefer. Joining me today is my friend and co-worker, Laura Pitney.

Laura, I recently was reading a book when children love to learn. And there was a quote in there

that really stood out to me. And I'd like us to discuss it today. Sure. All right? Let's hear it.

All right. It goes like this. What we are about is not some

misty future preparation for our children. Education is not a life later. It is life now.

That's really good. Yeah, it just, it struck me so much that when we think about education, we often think about

the future goal and we're just laying the foundation for that future.

But there's so much to education right now.

Yeah, I think that there is definitely value in remembering why we're doing what we're doing

now instead of letting all the future things dictate our decisions now. I think it's a proper balance,

of course, but there's value in remembering that today is today and to focus on the season you're at with your children now versus only thinking about future.

Yeah, Charlotte was so well balanced in all these aspects.

And even in this one, her type of education does prepare a child for the future.

But it's not only the future oriented.

So when I was mulling over that quote, I thought about a Charlotte Mason education in a couple of ways.

One is that it is very much person focused, that it's the whole person and we are

educating, we are nourishing the mind, the spirit, the soul, the body in whatever stage we are.

Yeah. It's not utilitarian.

Right.

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