CMP Review 2026-06-11

June 11, 2026

I often remind parents of what Mrs. Pell wrote in the article we shared on Tuesday:

It is well to remember that it is not always those who hold the highest diplomas who are the most capable of imparting knowledge. Sometimes it is the less learned and the more sympathetic who understand and grasp the difficulties presented to the average minds of beginners.

I recently shared this quote with a gathering of parents who wanted to know how Charlotte Mason talks about math and science. “How might Charlotte Mason encourage mothers in this area,” they asked, “especially those who feel intimidated by these subjects themselves?”

In the Q&A at the end I used the example of sloyd from my own experience. I said it was one of my least favorite subjects, but I worked the models side-by-side with my son, thinking I was well-qualified to be one of those “less learned and the more sympathetic who understand and grasp the difficulties presented to the average minds of beginners.” I had the slanted lines, imperfect cuts, and flawed models to prove it.

But even as I was speaking, it dawned on me that I was speaking of a person I once was but am no more. “I have throughout spoken of ‘Relations,’ and not of ‘Interests,’ because interests may be casual, unworthy, and passing,” wrote Charlotte Mason. Those difficult days of sloyd models were not cultivating an interest. They were cultivating a relation.

I thought about my pocket notebook, how I made it using skills that began with sloyd, and how I look forward to making my next one. I thought about the benefits of working side-by-side with our children. One great blessing is that it helps our children to learn. Another blessing is that it helps us to learn too. The science of relations is what helps us be more fully human. And that’s important not only for children but for parents too.

@artmiddlekauff