Thank God, we don't have to be perfect people to make family life work. Maybe you've heard the proverb that "God writes straight with crooked lines." Well, since my children play instruments and sing in choir, it is easier for them to understand the idea of how God can still make a beautiful symphony even when we are playing wrong notes.
Maria Montessori was a Catholic scientist, doctor, and ultimately, educator, whose discoveries about what she called "the true nature of the child" have had a profound effect upon parents, educators, catechists, and children around the world. One of the key tenants of Dr. Montessori's understanding of the child is the silent plea to the adult: "Help me do it by myself."
A parent from our CGS program mentioned to me as an aside this week: "I meant to talk to you about something that happened to my son. One day after Wednesday CGS last year, he came home and insisted we pray together. He has kept it up each night for a year now. I don't know what happened that prompted that. Do you?"