Charlotte Mason’s 4th Principle
By: Olga Robbins, Teacher Training Coordinator at Charlotte Mason Institute
Charlotte Mason's Principle 4 states: These principles are limited by the respect due to the personality of children, which must not be encroached upon whether by the direct use of fear or love, suggestion or influence, or by undue play upon any one natural desire.
These principles refer to Principles 1-3:
- The personhood of children
- The nature of children being neither good nor evil, but holding possibilities for either;
- Authority and obedience.
Miss Mason reminds us in Principle 4 that no matter how much we want to succeed in achieving great results in training children in habits such as that of obedience and respect, we are not permitted to cut corners to get fast results. The goal of raising respectful image-bearers should never justify the means of using such tools as “direct fear or love”, “suggestion or influence”, or “undue play on any one natural desire.” In honest consideration of the way we were parented and tend to parent, we will most likely remember instances of being manipulated or resorting to manipulation as means of achieving an objective. When we truly respect children as persons, we should not encroach upon their personality or manipulate them.
Whenever an adult uses fear to force a child to do something, the child is being manipulated.
Whether love is used by an adult as a reward or withheld as a punishment, the child is being manipulated.
When adults play on the desires of a child, such as the desire for affirmation, praise, or winning, the child is being manipulated.
Controlling children and manipulating them to do what serves us most may result in children that “show well”, but at what cost? When human beings feel manipulated or coerced, their relationships deteriorate. When adults manipulate children, they might achieve compliance, but lose the connection. Compliance without connection does not bring about a relationship.
Join us for Office Hours on January 8 at 3:30 PM (ET) as we dive deeper into looking at Principle 4 and discuss the practical ways we can practice this principle in parenting or teaching relationally. We’d love for you to join us!
Notes:
- Course Registration: Registration is open for CMI winter courses including the CORE teacher training course, Mason’s Principles: Parts 1 & 2, and the Virtual Immersion Masterclass. If you are interested in diving deep into the CM philosophy, snag a spot today.
- Conference: The Guiding with Grace Virtual Conference Ticket is still available for a limited time! Gain access to all keynote sessions plus 23 professionally recorded workshops. Want a preview? Enjoy these short snippets for a taste of what’s waiting for you. The Role of an Educator with Kerri Forney and The Great Recognition with Dr. Deani Van Pelt
- In the Company of Ideas: Check out the Hive to see the rest of our reading schedule for January through April. In January we are discussing the monograph by Dr. Shannon Whiteside titled “Narration and Retelling: Charlotte Mason’s Living Method of Learning.
