S2E35: Large Family Life and Charlotte Mason with Heather Tully

Today’s guest is Heather Tully, wife, homeschooling mother of 10 children, and photographer of everyday life How Heather first came to hear about Charlotte Mason and made the transition from a neo-classical model How Heather manages many different ages of children by combining into forms What Heather’s family gathering time has looked like over the years How group narrations work in Heather’s family What a typical school day looks like in the Tully household Heather’s take on transitioning kids to college Heather’s words of encouragement for all mothers Books and Links Mentioned: Gather: Exploring the Wonder, Wisdom, & Worship of Learning at Home by Pam Barnhill and Heather Tully Genevieve Foster Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall This Country of Ours by H. E. Marshall AmblesideOnline The CMEC (Charlotte Mason Educational Center)   Find Cindy and Heather: Morning Time for Moms Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy’s Facebook Cindy’s Instagram Heather’s Instagram The mother’s work is unlike any other in the whole world, it entails the constant drawing out of the very depths of her nature, and keeps it on the stretch often for hours together. It is from morning till night, and often does not end with night. But different calls are made on her at different times, that is where the difficulty and the need of adaptation arise. She must, like a musician on a rich toned organ, frequently at a moment’s notice, pull out a new stop and push in all the others–thus only can she supply the harmony of family life. She must be ready to meet these sudden, rapid changes, these calls on her love and her sympathy on all sides… In order to succeed in this, she must bring all her powers to bear on it with definite intention, just as the skillful musician would.. To be Queen over her little kingdom, serene in every family emergency, capable to direct all things with calmness, cheerfulness, and decision, is an ambition sufficient to tax the powers of the most skillful amongst us, and a vocation equal to the highest God has appointed on this earth. Charlotte Mason, The Parents’ Review, Vol. 4, “Family Life"