Kids and the Common Good

Or... how sharing a room with your sister is good for the future of our society!
I was reading an article about the difficulties of raising children in today's society (that I will share with you at class some time) and came across what I felt was a profound statement: "...[the couple's] six children share bedrooms as well as belongings, and Todd believes that such large-family necessities expose children to the notion of 'the common good' in a very direct and concrete way." I know that kids learn best from experience, and Christ tells us that we each have an obligation to contribute to the common good (take care of our neighbors), but little did I realize that I am training them in the ways of Christ by making them share a room! (Just wait 'till someone asks for her own room again...) The serious message is that economic and cultural changes of the last 20 years have had many unintended impacts, including the NOT teaching of these critical lessons in direct, personal ways so that children internalize the message - THUS making the job of good, concerned parents even harder. Something to think about as we start our parenting study this week! Please post and comment with your thoughts on the subject. Jenn