Does this sound nice to you? It does to me, especially right now. I’ll explain in a moment.

I really think there is a need today for a minimalist curriculum with a Charlotte-Mason flavor. Something that contains the basics with her language methods, and a handful of excellent books.

Today is a day of information overload. Moms are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. There are a million voices hawking their wares, their philosophies (and there are some wonderful ones!). I went to a Great Homeschool Convention a couple years ago and enjoyed wandering through the vast vendor hall, but it struck me that I didn’t see one seller that offered a pure and basic curriculum; something to direct a frazzled newbie homeschooler to.

It’s not just newbies who need a minimalist curriculum. It’s also the veterans struggling with burnout. The families with ten children. The mom who is frequently laid up with chronic illness. The single parent. The mom who needs to work. The family who is continually on the road. The missionaries who are limited in what they can take overseas.

The closest thing I can think of to a literature-based, pre-packaged, minimalist curriculum is the Robinson Curriculum. It’s been around a long time and is pretty cost effective so it may be worth checking out.

So why is minimizing on my mind mind right now? We are in a year of upheaval. The main reason the blog has been sparse lately is that we are preparing to move and build a new home. It is an exciting venture, and one for which I have waited many years. The land has been purchased, the houseplans designed, and we are currently painting walls and refinishing floors to get this lovely foursquare ready for the market. There’s a good chance we’ll be moving twice before we turn the key on our little dream house late this year. And maybe eventually I can share some thoughts on construction and home design.

If any of you will be attempting a simpler year, know I am with you! I’ll be following my own advice given to other overwhelmed moms:

Math, writing, a feast of reading.

I may list some favorite basics in a future post. Have a wonderful March!