the short talks

what are short talks, anyway?

The first time I ever presented a session on the Conscience, the question I received the most afterwards was an appeal for resources that could be used in correlation with her idea of “short talks.” (If you’re new to Charlotte Mason or simply are not familiar with her ideas on the Will and the Conscience, I have spoken more in-depth about both in these sessions.)

I remember scratching my head trying to think of a good resource for instructing the Conscience in the way Miss Mason had so beautifully described, and I came up pretty empty. There are plenty of wonderful resources available on the subject of character building, but all needed significant tweaking in order to fit the model she laid out.

But before we can get into the character formation model of “short talks,” let’s review some of the basics of what the Conscience is and why it needs to be instructed in the first place.

what is the conscience?

Before we go into this idea of “short talks,” there are a few basic characteristics of the Conscience we need to understand first:

• We all have one. Every human being.

• It is given to us by our Creator, whether we acknowledge Him or not.

• Its main role in our lives is to remind us of ought—not just what is right and wrong, but what we should do.

• It acts as a judge, interpreting the law in the cases brought before it.

• It lays upon us a sense of duty to something (or Someone) outside of ourselves.

“No Mansoul is left without the sense of ought--everyone knows that certain behavior is due from him, that he owes the ordering of his conduct to a higher Power.

Duty, that which is due from us; ought, that which we owe, is the proclamation of Conscience…” (4/II/7).

However, the Conscience is not infallible:

• It is subject to the influence of Inclination and Reason.

• It can be ignored (and thus grow silent).

• It must be instructed.

It is to this last weakness that our resource desires to speak. Like a judge, the Conscience must first be instructed in what the law actually says.

We cannot interpret what we do not know.

In fact, the real power of Conscience hinges upon its instruction. When it cannot discern between right and wrong, it is more susceptible to the arguments of Inclination (seeking to satisfy momentary cravings) and Reason (seeking to justify what Inclination desires).

Therefore it is paramount we do not neglect the very important task of instructing the Conscience of our children. We want them to be wise to the many voices that will try and influence their Conscience for a positive verdict. We want them to not only be able to recognize those voices, but to respond with what is right—even if it runs contrary to what they want.

“All of this Conscience testifies to us; morning by morning, hour by hour, he witnesses that we are not free to do what we like, but must do what we ought” (4/II/6).

how do we instruct the conscience?

There are many ways we instruct the Conscience of our children. We model right and wrong everyday through our own actions, words, and attitudes as parents (terrifying, isn’t it?). They see how we respond to the homeless person on the street, to the driver who cut us off, to the cashier having a bad day—all of these daily, by-the-way experiences teach our children what we really believe and value.

“Life brings us many lessons––when we see others do well, conscience approves and learns; when others do ill, conscience condemns…” (4/II/9).

The books we read also teach many lessons on the importance of character—from courage and truthfulness to vanity and greed, books showcase both the healthy and unhealthy application of various character qualities and are some of the best teachers for matters of the Conscience.

“…books are our best teachers” (4/II/9).

But these things are not enough. We must intentionally talk about character, too. Sometimes we throw words at our children, usually in anger, that hold very little meaning for them. Words like “disrespectful” or “irresponsible.” But how unkind, and futile, to hold hostage vocabulary that falls empty upon young ears, affecting only shame and confusion.

Character qualities are not missiles we launch in counter-attacks to poor choices. They are more like kindling for great conversation that warms and enlightens the shadowy realm of abstract ideas like courage, fortitude, benevolence, and even love. Our children need our words to bring clarity, not confusion. And with clarity comes inspiration.

An inspired child is a motivated one, their Will set aflame to rise to the occasion and do what is right.

“Now, conscience is instructed, the feelings are enlisted on the side of duty, and...his conscience convicts him in the breaking” (1/340).

short talks

Charlotte Mason proposed regular, weekly “short talks” for this purpose. They are meant to spark conversation between parents and children, outside of a time of discipline or a moment of weakness. As you talk through various character qualities, like kindness and courage, you are not attaching them to specific weaknesses in your child, but inspiring their Wills with the beautiful possibilities within each of us to do what is right and experience the joys of upright living.

“Give the children one thought at a time, and every time some lovely example of loving-kindness that will fire their hearts with the desire to do likewise” (1/339).

These conversations are blessedly simple. Here is the basic layout she suggests:

• Regular and progressive

• About 1 subject/week

• Short

• Follow-up through the week with practical examples of its positive (not negative) outworking

• End with the law (duty)

  (Vol. 1, 339-340)

It should be short, not a sermon.

It should be regular and progressive, not reactive.

And it should, if possible, give an inspiring picture to help the child’s mind latch upon its meaning.

Sounds pretty simple, right? It is!

But it can also be daunting to come up with a list of character qualities with short, inspiring descriptions that could appeal to the whole family, especially with all of the other things we have to create, arrange, and maintain as homeschooling parents!

Which is where the idea for these simple little cards was born.

what is the short talkS collection?

I struggled to find a fitting resource when first asked for recommendations all those years ago. And then it dawned on me: Volume 4 is filled with chapter after chapter of individual character qualities being defined and discussed in just the way Mason described for short talks.

And then the seed of an idea began to grow in my mind. Why not take those very qualities and descriptions and turn them into a compact, tidy resource for parents to use in the instruction of the Conscience?

So I enlisted the amazing artistic talents of my friend and fellow homeschooling mama, Erika Hiebert, to add stunning sketches that correlate with each quality and help bring the idea alive in such an impactful way.

We have arranged each quality and corresponding image into a 5x7” card that can be printed and displayed in your home throughout the week, serving as a visual reminder of what you have talked about together. Instructions for how to use the card are on the back, along with discussion questions, a corresponding Scripture verse, and a reminder to look for positive examples of that quality throughout your week.

It is our hope that this resource will help bring this simple model into your home on a consistent basis, drawing your family into rich conversations about character, duty, and the One to Whom all of these things ultimately point.

We will be releasing these cards one-by-one as they are created, so if you’d like to stay up-to-date on their release, there is a form at the bottom of this page to subscribe. Once we have the first set completed, a print version will also be offered, so stay tuned!

There are also short introductions to each character quality below. These introductions are for you as the parent, to help acquaint you with the main ideas behind each quality before presenting them to your child(ren). There are also lots of corresponding Scriptures included in case you want to take your discussions even further if time and interest allows.

Grace to you in this journey,

Jessica & Erika