Tea at Trianon: Giving Your Children Balance

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Giving Your Children Balance

From Mater et Magistra:

Make Play a Priority – Let your kids climb trees, play tag, or build forts. They don’t need a gymnastics class to develop coordination and strength.
Teach Games and Sports at Home – Kick a soccer ball in the yard, shoot hoops at the park, or teach them classic playground games like four square and hopscotch.
Encourage Meaningful Socialization – Playdates, church groups, neighborhood friends, and large family gatherings provide ample opportunity for social learning.
Develop Practical Life Skills – Teach your children to cook, garden, and build things. These experiences teach patience, problem-solving, and real-world competence.
Create a Culture of Learning – Read books together, explore nature, visit museums, and encourage curiosity about the world.
Allow Free Time – Children need unscheduled time to be creative, to daydream, and to explore their own interests.
Integrate Faith into Daily Life – Praying together, celebrating feast days, and serving others provide far more lasting formation than a weekly class.
Restoring the Rhythm of Family Life
Many parents feel overwhelmed, shuttling children from one activity to the next. If your family thrives in that environment, wonderful! But if you’re feeling stretched too thin, or if you simply prefer a slower pace, give yourself permission to opt out. A rich life does not require a jam-packed schedule.
The Catholic tradition gives us a beautiful model for balance—times of work, times of study, times of feasting, and times of fasting. Our children benefit from this rhythm, just as we do. A well-ordered home life is far more valuable than a dozen extracurriculars. (Read more.)