Her Words, My Rambled Thoughts: The Sacredness of Personality
(and an interesting looking plant.)

“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.” Vol. 6, p.80

FEAR. LOVE. SUGGESTION. INFLUENCE. PLAY upon natural desire. —  All these can be used to encroach any person. What more a child? I had to think for a moment and check if I do use these to make my children do things and steer them to be someone. And I am very guilty.

According to a quick google search, ENCROACH means to “intrude on a person’s territory or a thing considered to be a right.” It also means, “advance gradually beyond usual or acceptable limits.” The synonyms give a better picture: intrude on, trespass on, impinge on, obtrude on, impose oneself on, invade, infiltrate, interrupt, infringe on, violate, interfere with, disturb.

And according to my 6 year old Leon, encroaching means conquering something that is not yours.

Time and again, Charlotte Mason demonstrates and emphasizes  how essential it is to see children as persons. Her fourth principle states how fear, love, influence, and suggestion play a part in encroaching. Who would have thought that ‘Love’ can actually be used to encroach? If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we often do. She warns us of our instinct to influence to the point of manipulation. We often are not aware of the effect of what seems harmless, and even natural.

I started and ended our first week of school year 2018-2019 with these thoughts. And I am still trying to process it. I can’t seem to pin point how things should be done, and what is left to “use” besides fear, love, suggestion, influence.  I’ll be pondering on this, and hopefully read and discuss more with my husband. Feel free to grapple with me on this. Help me understand what it means. Take a look at Volume 6 of the CM Volumes, A Philosophy of Education. Flip to pages 80-93. Let me know what you think.

Meanwhile, look at this interesting looking plant we saw during our nature walk. Do you know what it is?