“Children are Born Persons”
Listen to the second Charlotte Mason Motherhood podcast episode on the first principle in Mason’s Twenty Principles. Learn how to apply this revolutionary principle in your homes.

Leading Thoughts
- Children are persons, but they aren’t developed beings with a strong sense of right and wrong. Children are persons, yes, but that doesn’t mean we throw caution to the wind, and say, well that’s just how little Johnny was made! That is our work as mother-teachers, is to develop their character virtue. To minister and disciple to their hearts and minds, and that is arguably the real goal of an education.
- Children possess a natural motivation and curiosity with the desire to KNOW.
- We can’t bribe our children.
- Our children are capable of thought.
- Talk to your children like people.
- Be there as a guide, philosopher, and friend.
Listen to the podcast above to hear more!
Quotes
“Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1, (ESV).
“Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-5, (ESV).
“What we call “Science” is too much with us. We must either reverence or despise children; and while we regard them as incomplete and undeveloped beings, who will one day arrive at the completeness of man, rather than as weak and ignorant persons, whose ignorance we must inform and whose weakness we must support, but whose potentialities are as great as our own, we cannot do otherwise than despise children, however kindly or even tenderly we commit the offence.” Children are Born Persons ,1911 by Charlotte Mason.
“We believe that the first article of our P.N.E.U. educational creed—“children are born persons”—is of a revolutionary character; for what is a revolution but a complete reversal of attitude? And by the time, say, in another decade or two, that we have taken in this single idea, we shall find that we have turned round, reversed our attitude towards children not only in a few particulars, but completely.” Children are Born Persons ,1911 by Charlotte Mason.
Links
Home Education by Charlotte Mason
A Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason
For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Charlotte Mason Motherhood podcast. Thank you so much for listening!
Sources:
- Mason, Charlotte. Home Education. Simply Charlotte Mason, LLC, 2017.
- Mason, Charlotte. A Philosophy of Education. Simply Charlotte Mason, LLC. 2017.
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