Wednesday, May 6, 2009

What should children learn?

As I set out to raise and educate my children, I find myself confronted with the question of just what it is they should be learning? Here are some of my current thoughts.

I want my children, over the course of their growing up years, to learn:

--To recognize and judge between right and wrong, good and bad, true and untrue.
--To see themselves as a son or daughter of God, unique in personhood, divine in potential.
--To understand the need for and develop their own individual relationship with God, to learn to seek him through scripture, through prayer, through the counsel of parents and spiritual leaders, and through personal inspiration.
--To undrestand that fallibility is a part of the human experience, that we can learn from mistakes, and that sins can be repented of and forgiven.
--To develop the attributes of Faith, Hope and Charity.
--To work, to value the opportunity to work and contribute, and understand the satisfaction of putting forth their best effort towards a worthy task.
--The value of relationships, especially within the family.
--A love of learning, confidence in their ability to learn, and methods of study that will allow them to learn throughout their lives.
--Knowledge and abilities that will prepare them both for academic study at the university level and for the daily needs of life.
--Skills needed for life and home management.
--A love for service.
--A love of beauty, and talents and abilities that will contribute beauty to the world.