I just finished reading another Newbery book: A Gathering of Days by Joan Blos. I am compiling a list of books I hope my kids will pick up and read some day. (I plan to have most of them in my personal library.) Is it Charlotte Mason who teaches that, through stories, a child empathizes with the characters and thereby is helped to build character and learn life's lessons?
One of the things that jumped out at me from this read was that, back in the day, children were actively taught moral education. In one scene in the book a young girl is being drilled on the definitions of justice, generosity, and gratitude. These days, it seems character education is an afterthought in the school, reintroduced probably due to the overall lack of character in the students. (I don't remember any such focus when I was in public school.)
Yesterday, I was listening to an interview on NPR, and the theme was centered around the pursuit of one's dreams. The interviewee, a mother and career woman, was, at one point, describing the guilt she felt trying to balance her career and motherhood, resentment oozing at the fact that her husband rarely, if ever, left work to care for a sick child. Not to imply that men should never be primary caregivers... But I sensed a selfish undertone. Is this the message society is giving to our children: to pursue your dreams no matter what? I see a reflection of the spoiled child who seems to think they should get whatever they want right now.
Although I desperately want my children to pursue and fulfill the dreams of their hearts, I also want them to understand the value of sacrifice. I want them to have the discernment to see the difference between needs and wants, to be able to determine priorities, and to understand that, frequently, the greatest fulfillment comes from putting the needs of others before your own.
Although I may not get around to teaching specifically the 'Moral Catechism' I am preparing my reading list.
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