What’s in my Mother’s Morning Basket?
What is a “Morning Basket”?
A morning basket was an idea born from “Morning Time”.
Morning Time is a specific time set aside in the homeschool day to discuss and teach “beauty subjects” such as: Bible, poetry, literature, art and composer study, etc.
This time often happens in the literal morning hours of the day as a way to start the learning day off on a beautiful note while ensuring these subjects are not lost amidst the rest of the homeschool curriculum.
Read my blog post Morning Time for Beginners to learn more about getting started with a Morning Time in your homeschool.
A Morning Basket is a basket that stores all of your Morning Time materials so that they are all in one place, aesthetically displayed.
A Mother’s Morning Basket is a place to store all of your personal morning time books for your own adventures in self-education. These books are for you and you, alone. Your mother’s morning basket is a place to nourish the soul, inspire your creativity and educate your mind.
A Mother’s Self-Education
When you start homeschooling your children, it doesn’t take long before the lure of self-education begins to call to you. You want this enriching life of learning that you see sparking in the minds of your children.
As image bearers of God, this longing to know more about His world and our purpose in it is only natural. Literature is a great way to fuel this pursuit and seek rest from the weariness that sometimes comes with raising a family.
A Mother’s Morning Basket is an excellent resource to help you cultivate the discipline of this practice. By having a basket of great books near your favorite chair, cozy book corner or bedside table, developing the habit of a “Mother’s Morning Time” becomes more easily accessible.
What’s in my Mother’s Morning Basket?
5 Types of Books I keep in my Mother’s Morning Basket
There are 5 types of books that rest within reach in my personal Mother’s Morning Basket:
My Bible
If there’s no time to read my Bible, there’s no time to read. Period. I’ve made this a “rule of life” for myself to prioritize the words that truly matter.
I’m currently following the Five Day Bible Reading Plan in order to read my Bible in one year. I use the free printable as a bookmark in my Bible.
A Devotional/Spiritual Read
I like slowly working my way through something that will help me in my daily walk with God. This can be a devotional or a Christian non-fiction book.
Some examples that I have kept in my Mother’s Morning Basket are:
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis
Reclaiming Quiet by Sarah Clarkson
The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs
The Lifegiving Home by Sally Clarkson
Teatime Discipleship by Sally Clarkson
A Book of Poetry
Poetry is food for the soul and fuel for a quiet, contemplative heart. I love starting my morning with one or two poems and working my way through a poetry collection.
One of my favorite poetry collections is This Day: Sabbath Poems Old & New by Wendell Berry.
An Academic Read
Do you have a list of classics that you want to read but you never actually pick them up? Include them in your Mother’s Morning Basket and slowly work your way through a little at a time.
This makes reading “difficult” books so much easier! There is zero pressure to read these quickly or to make them the only book that you are reading. In fact, that’s a quick ticket to a reading slump.
Read a few pages or a chapter of a classic book per day and you’ll be surprised how quickly you actually read them when this is a daily habit!
A few examples of difficult classics I’ve kept in my Mother’s Morning Basket are:
Paradise Lost by John Milton
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer
A Fun Read
Reading isn’t all business. Reading for pleasure is vital to a healthy reading life. I always include one book in my morning basket that is simply for my enjoyment with no strings attached.
A few examples of different types of books I’ve enjoyed are:
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (Miss Marple Series Book One)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
With this Pledge by Tamera Alexander
Literary Tools to Enhance your Reading Experience
I don’t only keep books in my Mother’s Morning Basket. I also stock it with a few literary tools to help me in my reading.
These include:
My Commonplace Book (I use a blank journal for this)
My favorite pen
Highlighters
Book Darts (metal book tabs)
Bookmarks
Book light
Do I have to read in the morning?
NO! The time of day in which you read is far less valuable than the daily habit of reading intentionally. I personally like reading in the morning because my kids aren’t awake yet and I like to start my day with scripture on my heart. However, reading in the morning isn’t the point. Having a morning basket makes the habit of reading easier when you have what you need in a convenient spot.
I sometimes only make it through my Bible and poetry book in the morning. Those are my priority reads. I will revisit my Mother’s Morning Basket later in the afternoon during the kids’ free play to catch up on the rest of my reading if needed.
Carve out a block of time in your day that you sit with your basket of books and make it a daily appointment that you don’t skip. The dishes and toys on the floor can wait 30 minutes for you to rest and read, mama!
I hope this inspired you to keep a Mother’s Morning Basket on hand.
Humbly,
Haley
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Other posts you may enjoy:
How to Set Reading Goals for a Literary Life
Charlotte Mason Kindergarten Daily Schedule
