I am merely in this post going to list the qualities necessary for the parents of a child.
I wish I had been more aware of my lack of holiness when training my own child.
Now, these comments are a combination of me and Maria Montessori. Her comments first:
And I summarize--direct quotations in purple....
the mistress, or in this case, the home schooling parents need:
humility
patience,
the superior value of deeds over words
the sensorial environment as the beginning of life of the soul
the silence and recollection obtained from the children
the liberty left to the child soul in striving after perfection
the minute care in preventing and correcting all that is evil
the control of error by means within the very material for development
the respect shown for the interior life of the child
Because I was aware of these things before I started home schooling, I could implement these in the day.
I began to develop means to do this, step by step.
Think on these and if you need to ask questions, I shall cover these points in posts to come.
Now, my comments. How do parents ruin these steps?
Insisting that the child DO too many activities. One or two activities, such a one sport and one musical instrument is enough. Too many parents think their children have to be doing and going, when in reality, the child needs silence for reflection.
By not paying attention to details-the working mother is death to a family, as details cannot be seen by teachers who do not have the graces given to the parents for the raising of their children-parents who are too busy or too keen on status miss details.
Parents do not seem to realize that the child is seeking God from day one of his birth. This is innate.
Respect for that process is essential.
Knowledge of things and self in reflection leads to knowledge of God, which is why so many Benedictine monasteries supported Montesorri early on. These abbots and abbesses could see the connection of work and prayer, reflection in silence and character formation even for the very young.
I use to give talks to parents in the Midwest and in Alaska on these points. And, the response was magical. Once a parent realizes that the children have their own call to find a personal relationship with God, things in the home change. In each house, as in each truly Catholic school, a chapel, which should be the most beautiful place, or a quiet corner, must be made.
Last point on this post for parents. Know that you will learn about God from your children, as they, as Montessori notes, have souls more open to divine intuitions than that of the adult. That is simply because they have sinned less and because the grace of baptism is alive and working.
To be continued...and this will not be a mini-series as first thought, but a maxi-one. Enjoy!
