Character Formation at Meal Times

Somewhere in his great treasury of wisdom, the Summa Theologica, St. Thomas draws a connection between man's appetite for food and his appetite for certain other pleasures which he will have to master later in life. For this reason as well as practical ones, my husband and I have always insisted that the children eat whatever is put before them, or eat nothing until the next meal. Before they can choose to skip a meal, however, they have to at least taste their food, one bite of each course.

When John Michael was a baby, no more than three years old, I made brussel sprouts (which I'd say is one of the most controversial foods on the planet--seems everyone either loves them or hates them!) and at first glance I think he was sure this meal wasn't going to go well at all. He has a funny gag reaction to certain textures, like raisins IN the oatmeal, for example (raisins or oatmeal alone were fine), but I was in no way prepared for what he would go through with brussel sprouts! The first bite had a serious problem with gravity, trying, despite his best efforts, to defy all the laws of physics. He reached for the milk, gulping the entire cup to wash down the offending orb. Mission accomplished!

The next time I made them (everyone else in the family loved them from the start), I could see the uncertainty in his expression. He saved them for last, refilling the milk glass after everything else on the plate was consumed, and braved the beligerent brussel sprouts once again. These brussel sprouts were a little heavier, I guess, requiring less effort to keep down, but the milk was once again employed as a safeguard. His confidence was growing.

The third time was a charm! He confidently speared one of the bite sized morsels and popped it into his mouth. With a smile he chewed and swallowed, master of his meal, captain of the cabbage, he had bested the bothersome brussel sprout and rather enjoyed it. After that there emerged a sort of competition out of who got to eat the last scoop of brussel sprouts.

All of our children are rather adventurous eaters, enjoying everything from Indian to Italian food, Thai to Texican fare, Japanese to Just Plain Made Up fodder.

I really think that when it comes time to master their other appetites, which it has for some of them, they'll have an easier go of it, having had years of practice, three times a day at the dinner table. The Battle of the Brussel Sprouts won, the preservation of their purity perhaps "un peu" more probable--the grace of God provided, of course!

Happy Parenting!

Catechism and Character Formation

Catechism and Character Formation:

Little ones begin to cultivate a strong work ethic as soon as they are able. It seems that the lower in the birth order they are the sooner they are asking for chores to do. They see the older kids working, and must be able to recognize the good in it, even when the older kids have momentarily forgotten its benefits.

They learn to pray starting at the meal table, thanking God for the food, praying for the poor souls in purgatory, and Our Lady's Rosary after dinner. They are required to eat whatever has been prepared for them, which provides frequent opportunities to mortify their appetites, and fortify the virtue of obedience. Lucky for them mommy's cooking's not too bad.

Through weekly participation at the Traditional Latin Mass, as well as being shielded from any sight of irreverence towards God's house and the Blessed Sacrament, they learn piety, and fear of the Lord--fear of offending such a loving and generous creator. Attendance at the Traditional Latin Mass has also prepared them for the study of Latin in the upper grades. They are taught the prayers of the Rosary, Grace Before Meals, and liturgical hymns in Latin, too.

Their catechism comes primarily from Socratic discussions at the dinner table. But much, too, is learned from The Catholic Child's Treasure Box, Mary Fabean Windeatt's Lives of The Saints Series, The Vision Book Series, Know Your Mass, Leading the Little Ones to Mary, and the Catechism for Children. I've hung an over-the-door apparatus in their bathrooms in which I tuck old issues of Catholic Hearth, and books such as the Catechism in Examples, which is currently out of print. Perhaps Anecdotes and Examples for the Catechism is a good alternative.

In the older years they read all of the Fr. Laux 6 Book Course in Religion, and the books that accompany their history studies round out their overall catechesis.
In highschool they study Following Christ in the World, from Seton, and Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis.