Introducing Dr. Sax and Ms. Mason

 

Dr. Leonard Sax, meet Charlotte Mason.  

I can just imagine what that first meeting would be like.  

Over a cup of tea in England, perhaps there would be an intense, but jovial conversation around their view of children, education, authority, and virtues.  

Maybe there would be talk on such things as…

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... the disrespect breeding in the heart of children…

... the abdication of authority in parents…

... the weaknesses of the current educational system….

...the need to cultivate a love for learning and to play outdoors...

...the importance of teaching humility and self-control…

--  just to name a few.  

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Their ideas would resonate with one another. They would connect. It would be a conversation that would make sense but that their respective peers could not always willingly hear.

Today, both Sax and Mason’s ideas swim against today’s cultural tide. In this age, where many children struggle to show respect to authority in education and their homes, both Sax and Mason address these issues, and more. Although Mason’s educational methods were developed in the 18th century and her writing style can be hard to digest, I believe that Sax’s books reflect some of her ideas in a 21st-century way for us, 21st-century parents.

As Ambleside parents, we would be remiss not to pick up a copy of one of his books, which are easily digestible, and invite parents of young children to attend his presentation on March 15th. He has much to offer parents in a world where parents seem to be drowning.

As an Ambleside parent, I was introduced to Dr. Sax a couple of years ago. His books have been like a lifeline thrown to me, when I was being pummeled by the waves of parenting. Boys Adrift and Girls on the Edge unabashedly opened my eyes to serious technology issues I was completely unaware of in this era of screen-ruled teenagers. Collapse of Parenting reinforces the consequences around abdication of authority also touted by Mason, and offers three insightful ways to help. Check out Charlotte Mason’s education at ambleside.org or amblesideschools.com, and check out Dr. Leonard Sax at http://www.leonardsax.com.  

- Jessel Newton, Ambleside Parent