In this episode of Joyful Noises, we’re curling up with a cup of coffee, soaking in the first hint of fall in Southeast Texas, and diving into Charlotte Mason’s Principles 6, 7, and 8 - the ones that remind us that education is far more than checklists, curriculum, or curated spaces.

This week’s episode is different. My heart has been heavy as I’ve watched the headlines and the conversations unfold. In a world where believers are mocked, marginalized, and sometimes killed for their faith, how do we, as mothers, raise our children to be bold? How do we support our husbands as they lead, and how do we hold fast to the beauty of wifehood and motherhood when culture calls it small?

In this episode of Joyful Noises, we continue our journey through Charlotte Mason's 20 principles and pause at principle 05. 

Instead of rewards or bribes, Mason insists that we are limited to three true tools of education: the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit, and the presentation of living ideas. 

Together, let's unpack what these mean and how they can be applied to real life. How atmosphere is more than aesthetic, why the slow work of habit training brings lasting freedom, and how living books and ideas nourish the mind far more than dry facts.

In today's episode we're unpacking Charlotte Mason's principle number 04 - the idea that education must respect the sacredness of personality.

What does that mean? And how does it shape our role as mother-teachers?

Principle 03. - The principles of authority on the one hand, and of obedience on the other, are natural, necessary and fundamental;

Mason's third principle concerns authority and obedience, stressing the natural and necessary need for both. Authority and obedience… I can sense the eye rolls already. These two words often carry a negative connotation in our society today, don’t they? 

Hold those horses for a moment and allow me to shift your perspective, because Mason isn't referring to authority in the strict sense of "Do what I said because I said so!" or demanding blind obedience merely because it’s expected. Instead, she's highlighting the importance of one's liberty.

"They are not born either good or bad, but with the possibilities for good and evil." 

Miss Mason held a compassionate view, believing that children are not blank slates, but rather individuals with their own inherent potential for both good and evil.

I found this principle is commonly challenging to grasp, especially since it's easier to contemplate it in theological terms, considering Mason's philosophy is built on the pillars of the Word of God.

It may seem that Mason is suggesting children have the innate ability to discern between moral good and bad, leading some to believe they might choose not to sin. However, Ambleside Online emphasizes that “Principle 2 should NOT be understood as a theological position on the doctrine of original sin, but rather as a heartfelt belief that even children who have faced significant hardships, once regarded as unable to lead honest lives, can indeed learn to differentiate right from wrong when given the right guidance and support.”

So what is meant by that, and why include this in her principles if it has no theological significance? Join me as we jump through the looking glass to a faraway land to familiarize ourselves with Miss Mason once again. 

Principle 01. "Children are born persons. They are not born either good or bad, but with possibilities for good and evil." 

Seems pretty straightforward forward, right? Wrong. 

None of us actually think that children are born bad, so it seems like it would be cut and dry. However, this principle is often misused and misunderstood, so let's explore the potential of a person—a child.