Miss Mason and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Lisa Cadora

Before I had Charlotte as my education mentor, my role model for fruitful interaction with children was Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, a fictional character created by Betty Edwards who premiered in 1947 in a book of that title and was further developed in subsequent books in the series. Upon reading the first chapter of the first book, I was filled with admiration for this clever author’s wit and wisdom, and found myself laughing out loud at the ironic extremes in the situations she created. I delighted in recognizing my own child-self  and the efforts of adults around me in the stories penned from chapter to chapter.

The character “Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle” was a sort of Dr. Spock (Benjamin Spock — child psychologist, not the Vulcan) to a neighborhood full of mothers who wrung their hands and fretted themselves endlessly over their very ordinary children’s peccadilloes, struggling all the while to convince each other of their children’s superiority. 

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, the sugar-cookie scented wife of a deceased pirate, lived in an upside-down house at the end of the street. She received children as visitors at all hours of the day, letting boys dig up her yard in search of her husband’s lost treasure and girls re-enact their favorite princess dramas over and over again. When the befuddled mothers consulted with her in exasperation over their children’s annoying behavior, her standard cures were natural consequences — enhanced by a little “magic” which inevitably pushed those consequences to extremes.

Each chapter begins with a series of phone calls from one mother to the others, explaining her latest challenge with her darling “Percival Lightfeather” or some such ludicrous name. Eventually one mother will refer the beleaguered parent to Mrs. P, and the cure will ensue. From “The Picky-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker” to “The Scaredy-Cat-Cure”, I think there is still a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from this sage’s intuitive understanding of how parents need to let consequences take their course. 

When I finally picked up Volume 5 of Charlotte Mason’s “Original Home Schooling Series” Formation of Character and met the characters she created to convey her points about the shaping of children’s personalities, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud just as I had done years before with Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. In these chapters, Charlotte takes the voices of fictional parents, conversing with each other and with friends over their not-quite-as-ridiculously-named children’s foibles. In my mind’s eye, I could picture Charlotte penning these accounts with a half-smile on her face and a gleam in her eye. “Inconstant” Kitty has “no faculty of attention” and Fred Bruce forgets “everything he is desired to remember” (Part I), while the “A-B-C Darians” sort through folk practices of child-rearing in light of the encroaching scientific principles of child-rearing, and come up with a new scheme for education, the outcome of which is the Parents’ National Education Union (PNEU) (Part II). 

These accounts show that Charlotte was a keen observer of family life and interaction between mother and father, child and parent, novice and professional in the detail with which she distinguishes her characters from each other and has them trot out quite eloquently the views on character development and education disputed in her day. Her comical though compassionate depictions of children caught up in bad habits shows forth her years of being present in the moment –watching and listening — in order to later reflect on what could have been done to address the situation effectively. The historical fiction of the beginning of the PNEU Charlotte  crafted through her likewise exquisite attentiveness to drawing room discussions and dinner conversations. It’s delightful to read Charlotte in this capacity of eavesdropper, and impressive to see her adeptness at conveying her ideas and principles through imagined dialogue and socially-situated interaction. 

In reading Betty Edwards’ Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle volumes, one will have no trouble picking up on the parenting weaknesses and wisdom of the mid 20^th century. I recommend Leslie Laurio’s summaries and paraphrases of Formation of Character, found at amblesideonline.org, to support the reading of Volume 5 of the Original Home-Schooling Series. In either case, I’m certain that one will recognize the same foolishnesses and insights in the deliberations of the characters in both books. And because we deal with the same parenting and child-rearing matters today, readers will find themselves laughing out loud as they recognize their own fumbling issues and efforts in the pages of these delightful books.

Copyright Lisa Cadora 2012 

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Authority in Perspective by Tara Schorr

I have been giving considerable thought lately to the administration of authority.  I have been grieved by some of the things I have seen done in it’s name, and have been pondering questions and Scriptures.  What is a healthy expression of authority?  How is it that Scriptures are employed to back up practices or systems that are clearly abusive?  Where is the balance between boundaries and anarchy?  How can Truth be proclaimed to set captives free from both slavery and rebellion?

As it so often happens, while I considered these things I realized how much it correlated with Charlotte Mason and the way she described the treatment and training of children.  Mason hit the nail on the head when, discussing a mother who mishandled her role, she wrote, “She confounded the two principles of authority and autocracy” (Vol 3 pages 13-14).  Certainly autocracy, having absolute rule, domineering and controlling another human being created in the image of God, is wrong.  Yet, to various degrees, that is often the presumed understanding of how authority is implemented.  Further on she states, “Mrs. Hare, like many another ruler, would appear to have erred, not from indolence, and certainly not harshness, but because she failed to define to herself the nature of the authority she was bound to exercise” (Vol 3 page 15).

Defining the nature of authority seems to be the best place to start.  Mason reminded us that even Jesus came as a servant to do His Father’s will, and that any form of authority here on earth is entrusted to us for definite tasks.  This imposes mandates and limitations, according to the accomplishing of the assignment.  Paul talked about this very thing in 2 Corinthians 13:10 when he stated, “Therefore, I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.”  If Paul had used his title or position of being an apostle to tear people down, it would have been an illegal use of his authority, not given to him or endorsed by the Lord.  This clearly shows boundaries in the expression of authority.  Mason not only applied those limitations to severe examples that would normally cross people’s minds, but also to the too lenient ones.  For instance, it is an unauthorized use of authority to allow children to skip doing their lessons, to play too many video games, or eat too much junk food, because that is harmful to them and our commission is to ensure their best welfare.

Another important thing to consider is the intended paradigm and structure.  We have a tendency to apply these kinds of principles with an hierarchal mindset.  The gift of teaching, along with the other gifts, was given by God to help equip others, and it was meant for a Kingdom of Heaven cultural context.  In other words, the relationships are modeled after a loving family, not a boss and employers.  It is supposed to be enabling and releasing, not managing or using.  Jesus addressed this when He told His disciples, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant.”  Paul further illustrated this in 1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 by saying, “Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.  But, we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.  So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”

Blessed are the meek, especially those with positions of leadership.  The word meek literally means “strength, or power, under control.”  The greater the sphere of influence or rule, the greater the power one has to restrain.  Mason used the charming example of Queen Elizabeth [I], admirably citing, “the meekness of one who has been given an appointed work, the readiness to take counsel with herself and with others, the perception that she herself was not the be-all and the end-all of her functions as a queen, but that she existed for her people, and the quick and tender open-minded sympathy which enabled her to see their side of every question as well as her own––indeed, in preference to her own” (Vol. 3 page 17-18).  It takes a trained and concentrated effort to hold yourself back and to prefer those in your charge, when you could just lay down the law and be applauded by the world for doing so.

Paul was trusted with more authority than we can imagine.  His teachings are still being used to transform lives all around the world.  Yet, by accepting the call on his life, he knew he was signing up for great hardship.  Nobody understood that better than Paul, since he was most zealous to persecute and kill believers.  Each day he walked out his calling he acquired more enemies, and suffered more.  That kind of commitment helps to purify motives.  I believe that kind of pouring out of our life is the pattern held up for all to live by.  After all, the One who has and will have the greatest authority forever, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, was the One who sacrificed the most.

There are commands given to temper those who rule, as well.  Fathers were instructed not to provoke their children to anger.  Even though offenses are inevitable, Jesus warned those that caused children to be offended that it would be better to have a millstone around their neck and to be thrown into the sea.  God is pretty particular about how children should be treated, and we would do well to take the time to assess ourselves.

These are the principals that should inform our daily lives, actions, and decisions.  Are we being watchful over our students so that they are challenged in a positive way?  Are we impatient and expect things from them that we haven’t properly trained them enough in?  Do we care about their feelings, even if they seem insignificant from our adult perspective?  Do we put them first, above our own comfort and convenience?  Do we really listen to them?  Are we nurturing and affectionately loving them through the fun, the tedious, and the challenging?  Are we regularly weighing and adjusting according to their development and growing maturity?  Are we being tender when bringing correction?  Do they feel safe with us, and know that in all things we have their best interests in mind?

I’m taking a fresh look at these things, and at my interactions with my children.  The busyness of life and the pressure of goals can eclipse some of these more important issues.  They need to be intentionally brought to the forefront at regular intervals.  This is what determines the kind of relationship that will exist between teacher, mentor, or parent and child.  This is what will either crush, or cause a child to grow in wisdom, character, vibrancy of life, and thrive.

© Tara Schorr 2012

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