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Masterly inactivity is not something a child does per Charlotte Mason! The masterly inactivity is a description of the way a mother should subtly and discreetly guide her children in the development of good habits. Puleeez, if you're going to claim to follow CM's ideas, understand them first!

 

That's all. No offense intended. :tongue_smilie:

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Masterly inactivity is not something a child does per Charlotte Mason! The masterly inactivity is a description of the way a mother should subtly and discreetly guide her children in the development of good habits. Puleeez, if you're going to claim to follow CM's ideas, understand them first!

 

That's all. No offense intended. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

I know exactly what you mean! The word "masterly" should cause people to pause and reflect, but it often does not happen. CM is so misunderstood sometimes.

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Masterly inactivity in CM education is a parent’s restraint that keeps her from interfering and allows a child the leisure time to be free in his play and personal work thus allowing the child to make his own friends, form his own opinions, and succeed or fail based on his own effort.

Often in casual homeschool conversation the term masterly inactivity is used to discuss the play, projects, or work that a child is currently pursuing during the afternoon hours outside of school work and parental involvement.

 

Hope that clarifies-

Mandy

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The masterly inactivity is a description of the way a mother should subtly and discreetly guide her children in the development of good habits.

 

Masterly inactivity is the opposite of sneaky micromanagement. It is the strength of intentionly letting go.

 

I may choose not follow CM exclusivley or exhaustively, but I do know how to read her writings.;)

Mandy

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Masterly inactivity is the opposite of sneaky micromanagement. It is the strength of intentionly letting go.

 

I may choose not follow CM exclusivley or exhaustively, but I do know how to read her writings.;)

Mandy

 

IF it was just inactivity, then the word "masterly" would not be a part of the phrase. I'm sorry if the adjectives I used were not appropriate, but I did not mean sneaky micromanagement. Although CM emphasized giving children much freedom to do all of the things you mentioned, that freedom would only be productive *if* the mother was careful to instill good habits. Those good habits come from careful, thoughtful guidance, particularly during the early years.

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IF it was just inactivity, then the word "masterly" would not be a part of the phrase. I'm sorry if the adjectives I used were not appropriate, but I did not mean sneaky micromanagement. Although CM emphasized giving children much freedom to do all of the things you mentioned, that freedom would only be productive *if* the mother was careful to instill good habits. Those good habits come from careful, thoughtful guidance, particularly during the early years.

 

:iagree: Bravo! I've seen it misunderstood too.

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So all that time in the afternoons where my children sit at their table and work on drawing with art books and their own imagination is "masterly inactivity"?

 

Time spent outdoors in the garden digging up bugs and looking at them up in the field guides is "masterly inactivity"?

 

Good. I knew that it wasn't wasted time.:001_smile:

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Although CM emphasized giving children much freedom to do all of the things you mentioned, that freedom would only be productive *if* the mother was careful to instill good habits. Those good habits come from careful, thoughtful guidance, particularly during the early years.

 

I thoroughly agree with this statement. However, that was not the masterly inactivity part. I quote CM herself-

 

"But we must get clearly into our heads what we mean by masterly inactivity. Carlyle's happy phrase has nothing in common with the laisser allez attitude that comes of thinking 'what's the good?' and still further is it removed from the sheer indolence of mind that lets things go their way rather than take the trouble to lead them to any issue. It indicates a fine healthy moral pose which it is worth while for us to analyse. Perhaps the idea is nearly that conveyed in Wordsworth's even more happy phrase, 'wise passiveness'. It indicates the power to act, the desire to act, and the insight and self-restraint which forbid action."

 

 

IF it was just inactivity, then the word "masterly" would not be a part of the phrase. I'm sorry if the adjectives I used were not appropriate, but I did not mean sneaky micromanagement.

 

From the modern translation of CM through Ambleside-

 

"Apparently, 'masterly inactivity' was a term used in CM's time to describe a 'wait and see' attitude by legislators in response to political incidents"

 

CM references Thomas Carlyle in her writing and so this indeed seems to be the true definition. However, she goes on to quote Wordsworth and say that perhaps what she means is closer to 'wise passiveness.'

 

"Expostulation & Reply" by William Wordsworth

 

"Why, William, on that old grey stone,

Thus for the length of half a day,

Why, William, sit you thus alone,

And dream your time away?

 

"Where are your books?--that light bequeathed

To Beings else forlorn and blind!

Up! up! and drink the spirit breathed

From dead men to their kind.

 

"You look round on your Mother Earth,

As if she for no purpose bore you;

As if you were her first-born birth,

And none had lived before you!"

 

One morning thus, by Esthwaite lake,

When life was sweet, I knew not why,

To me my good friend Matthew spake,

And thus I made reply:

 

"The eye--it cannot choose but see;

We cannot bid the ear be still;

Our bodies feel, where'er they be,

Against or with our will.

 

"Nor less I deem that there are Powers

Which of themselves our minds impress;

That we can feed this mind of ours

In a wise passiveness.

 

"Think you, 'mid all this mighty sum

Of things for ever speaking,

That nothing of itself will come,

But we must still be seeking?

 

"--Then ask not wherefore, here, alone,

Conversing as I may,

I sit upon this old grey stone,

And dream my time away,"

 

Rather than forcing a child to pursue knowledge, morals, or anything else for that matter masterly inactivity is the wise passiveness that is possible when the child and parent both acknowledge the parental authority. This wise passiveness makes way for the parent to truly allow space within the child's life for those moments of enlightenment to find the child.

 

It is a lovely thought for Mother's Day!

HTH-

Mandy

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So all that time in the afternoons where my children sit at their table and work on drawing with art books and their own imagination is "masterly inactivity"?

 

Time spent outdoors in the garden digging up bugs and looking at them up in the field guides is "masterly inactivity"?

 

Good. I knew that it wasn't wasted time.:001_smile:

 

Yes, in casually homeschool conversation these are the kinds of things people talk about when they discuss what their child is doing during her hours of masterly inactivity.:D

Mandy

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Mandy, you're right. After I posted last night, I realized that the mother's inactivity is masterly because she is mastering her own impulse to over-teach or control her children's learning. I was confused. I should have looked back at the book before I opened my smart mouth. BUT, the point is... the children are anything but inactive, it's the mother who is inactive for the sake of her children's growth. I've even seen so-called CM curricula misuse this term, which is really annoying. CM's philosophy is much more than a list of things to-do or not do in your homeschool.

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and still further is it removed from the sheer indolence of mind that lets things go their way rather than take the trouble to lead them to any issue.

 

I still think Katy has a point and maybe it's somewhere in this part of the quote.

 

Yes, the parent pulls back. But only after creating an environment of learning. For instance, in nature walks (which is most of what I like reading about, and like Katy I should go back & re-read). Anyways, you pull back -- but only after bringing the child to the outdoors, demonstrating a delight & encouragement, and bringing a knowledge (or reference book with knowledge) for answering questions, naming plants, and such. She promotes pulling back strongly, in that you are not bringing the children on a guided field trip & telling them what to discover. But you are indeed guiding them carefully away from the TV set, or hitting other kids on the head with blocks, or whatever else kids would get into when left completely on their own.

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Yes, the parent pulls back. But only after creating an environment of learning. For instance, in nature walks (which is most of what I like reading about, and like Katy I should go back & re-read). Anyways, you pull back -- but only after bringing the child to the outdoors, demonstrating a delight & encouragement, and bringing a knowledge (or reference book with knowledge) for answering questions, naming plants, and such. She promotes pulling back strongly, in that you are not bringing the children on a guided field trip & telling them what to discover. But you are indeed guiding them carefully away from the TV set, or hitting other kids on the head with blocks, or whatever else kids would get into when left completely on their own.

 

:lol: One would hope so!

 

I agree that there should be a definite understanding of and obedience to parental authority. Masterly inactivity, in this instance casually referring to a period of time after schoolwork when the child engages in activities of personal growth without parental interference ;), is not a period of twaddle for the mind.

 

A good rule of thumb I use when thinking of masterly inactivity is to consider what is produced.

 

I would say that when my oldest ds writes stories he is engaging in a period of masterly inactivity. He has a product to show for his time; it is something that I do not grade or guide; it is something he enjoys and can enjoy for a lifetime. I have tried my best to not interfere and make these stories into school assignments, but instead have allowed him to develop his own style.

 

A child learning to crochet, to work with clay, or to collect and categorize is a child engaging in masterly inactivity. A child watching cartoons, making a mess of his room, or terrorizing siblings is not engaging in masterly inactivity, because nothing is produced. Like schoolwork, organized sports are not masterly inactivity or play for that matter, because they are organized.

 

I really like the romantic concept of a child developing an interest and pursuing it without a parent telling them how to do it. However, the reality is in fact that the burden of exposure and purchasing of materials, equipment, etc. will often fall upon the parent.

 

HTH-

Mandy

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When I think of masterly inactivity, I think of the end goal being a child who can entertain himself w/o parental prodding, in a manner that is productive and satisfying.....something that builds skill and character.

 

It's the antithesis of "Crafting" in my mind (the kind of crafting where mom does 95% of the work and the kids shake the glitter)......but that's just me.:tongue_smilie:

 

My ds6 does puzzles, colors, (and crafts:lol:...but on his own), explores outside, and plays with toys - building with legos/blocks and acting out storybooks (aka narrating) with his figurines.

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When I think of masterly inactivity, I think of the end goal being a child who can entertain himself w/o parental prodding, in a manner that is productive and satisfying.....something that builds skill and character.

 

It's the antithesis of "Crafting" in my mind (the kind of crafting where mom does 95% of the work and the kids shake the glitter)......but that's just me.:tongue_smilie:

 

My ds6 does puzzles, colors, (and crafts:lol:...but on his own), explores outside, and plays with toys - building with legos/blocks and acting out storybooks (aka narrating) with his figurines.

:blushing: Sorry, I was thinking about my older two. I agree with little ones the "product" is not always a tangible one. My little guy builds forts with chairs and blankets, makes crafty stuff with things like air dry clay, builds with wedgits and duplos, investigates with a magnifying glass, counts his piggy bank money, and my personal favorite... cleans:001_huh:.

Mandy

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:blushing: Sorry, I was thinking about my older two. I agree with little ones the "product" is not always a tangible one. My little guy builds forts with chairs and blankets, makes crafty stuff with things like air dry clay, builds with wedgits and duplos, investigates with a magnifying glass, counts his piggy bank money, and my personal favorite... cleans:001_huh:.

Mandy

 

 

I'm with you! :001_smile:

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