True education seeks to teach kids what is true, good, and beautiful. The purpose of education throughout the ages was to form the character of a child not the modern utilitarian objective to fill them with unrelated facts to pass tests and get a job.
In my own life, we sought to introduce our children to these Divine truths each morning with a Morning Time routine when they were very young. I would print beautiful works of art onto photo paper and we would look at the artwork and have a simple discussion of its attributes.
We would examine the colors used, the people portrayed, and how we thought they were feeling in the drawing or painting. This very simple examination of a piece of art allows children to enter the world of beauty.
During these moments, we would often play classical music and talk about how the music made us feel a certain emotion and what we thought the composer wanted us to feel. (Four Seasons by Vivaldi became a favorite for my boys.)
On Saturday mornings, occasionally we would schedule a Poetry “tea time” at the kitchen table. I would make some simple muffins and make hot chocolate which we would sip from fancy cups or mugs. I would read them poetry and we might do an art project together.
In fact, this simple and tangible exposure to beautiful things can lead children to the Divine source of beauty at a time when they may not grasp the intangible concepts of faith.
If you aren’t exposed to these timeless qualities early in life it is easy to fall from truth as an adult. It is difficult to form a foundation of virtue without exposure to the true, good, and beautiful. And without virtue you will never know justice.
The foundation of wisdom begins with early exposure to timeless truths.
Give your children a Divine foundation of virtue: show them the True, Good, and Beautiful.
Watch them blossom.
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
Aristotle
Beautiful. Thank you.
Beautiful piece! I loved the simplicity and (yet) richness of the “true education” you illustrate. Great background