Book group met last week with a discussion of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the book not the movie. (I haven’t yet seen the current movie version but look forward to seeing it soon.) Somehow we skipped over the subject of romance ala Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Instead, we got into a discussion of raising “well-bred“ children.

What is ”well-bred“? How do genetics, nurture, and education work together? How can we help our children to be ”masters“ of themselves, without pride and open to correction and change when needed? How can we help our children develop the pre-suppositions and discernment that they need to navigate life but not the prejudice that will cause them to make poor judgments of people and situations? There are a range of children’s ages represented by the women in this group with our facilitator expecting a baby in a few months. Unlike for me, whose sons are essentially grown, these questions are of some immediacy for her and some of the others. I look back and it all seems so complicated when you really think about all the training–intentional and unintentional–that is squeezed into that time.

All grace and wisdom to moms and dads of young children who may be reading this blog.