Dec. 3, 2006 - I Love It When...

...some one smart agrees with me!!  Ha ha haaa...

I was having a discussion a few months ago with a person whose area of expertise is with children.  She said she didn't believe that children had any concept of sin until they reached their age of accountability.

I'm not an expert.. but I've had 5 children of my own, and I disagreed with her.

"WOAH -- no way", I wanted to say, but tried to keep my tone civil.  I mentioned that I thought children DID have a concept of sin, and the guilt to go along with it.  My children know -- do not eat these cookies until after dinner.  They sneak and eat the cookies.  They hide the act, then they lie about it and feel guilty to boot. I believe that is sin.  Now -- will small children and infants be held accountable for that sin?  No -- I don't think so.  I can't tell you exactly when that "age of accountability" kicks in.  But I still firmly believe that children -- all children, young or old -- are aware of sin, and do sin.

AND... so does Charlotte Mason according to this passage, found in Vol. 2.  Parents and Children.  Chap V.  "Children have a sense of sin, acute in proportion to their sensitiveness.  We are in danger of trusting too much to a rose-water treatment; we do not take children seriously enough; brought face to face with a child, we find he is a very real person, but in our educational theories we take him as 'something between a wax doll and an angel.'  He sins; he is guilty of greediness, falsehood, malice, cruelty, a hundred faults that would be hateful in a grown-up person; we say he will know better by-and-by.  He will never know better; he is keenly aware of his own odiousness."

Ha Ha... see... I knew I liked this Charlotte Mason lady.  The more I learn -- the more I like her.  I'm sure -- since she was human... she will eventually disappoint me.  Most humans do. Praise the Lord, my saviour will never disappoint me.  I'm sorry if I disapoint you, but I digress.  Hooray!  I finally have found an educational "way" that seems to fit like a glove!  I wonder what she has to say about little boys with A.D.D.