Mother Culture: Term 1 Plans (2023-24)

As much as I believe in Mother Culture, and part of that being reading, it's amazing how easily it slips through the cracks. Three things I do to make sure it happens are:

1. Choose a short stack of books.
2. Put that stack by my bed.
3. Plan out my little minutes.

I hope you will gain a few ideas from my Mother Culture: Term 1 Plans and you are welcome to link up your own plans below!

First, the caveat. This article does not contain affiliate links.
Credit for "mother culture" term is given to Karen Andreola's Mother Culture.  Credit also is given to Charlotte Mason who encouraged mothers to have a stack of books by bedside. 

In this Mother Series I am sharing ideas on redeeming the time!  As part of this series, you might also enjoy A Mother's Homekeeping Time Cards free printable and Mom Planner free printable. ​One way to redeem the time is to build in little minutes for joy - such as reading.

One way to redeem the time is to build in little minutes for joy!

#1 My Short Stack of Books

I normally think of my stack of books as three. A book in the Bible, a Fiction, and a Non-fiction. That's it. You could call it a short stack.

I was thinking about writing this post yesterday, and my daughter brought me a stack of two books and suggested I read them.

"Mom," she said, "you need to make more time for reading; you're always doing other things." She's right, I thought. So, I decided to go with her suggestions for fiction.

I added to my stack to round it out. Here it is.

• Bible: Acts of the Apostles
• Fiction: Village School by Miss Read + The Complete Works of Jane Austin*
• Non-fiction: Home Education by Charlotte Mason, Part I

#2 Putting the Stack by my Bed

It only took a minute, but I quickly put the stack by my bed. When does a mother have time to read? When the children are tucked under the covers and peacefully sleeping.

Story from My Life

​My grandmother raised 12 children, a Mennonite family. Surprisingly, they had a four-bedroom farmhouse. "How did they do it," I asked my Dad. I was blessed to find out.

Baby slept in cradle or with mother. Toddler slept in a little bed in the corner of parent's room as the closeness of parents is comforting.

When the toddler was school age, he or she "graduated" to their "own" bedroom. The girls slept in one bedroom and the boys in the other. That even left a guest bedroom (sometimes used).

This was a relief to hear, as we are in tight quarters after our move from Texas. It's a comfort to glance up and look at the peacefully, sleeping baby while reading a chapter.

#3 Planning Out My Little Minutes

In her book, Mother Culture, Karen Andreola talks about using those little minutes for reading. She is referring to the free minutes available to a mother during naptime or after the children are in bed.

This term, I plan to be spontaneous and just read whatever book, from my stack, I feel like, but sometimes I like to plan out my reading, and for this the free Mom Planner PDF is handy.

Final Thoughts

Books are a gift. Sometimes its hard to find the right book that meets us where we're at. We can ask God to help us. When we find it, it becomes like an old friend.

Have you ever read My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse?  Such a funny comedy with a wonderful television series made after it. We are enjoying these shows right now from the library.