Use That Conscience!

I have the pleasure of working with a wise beyond her years first grade girl. Last week, she mentioned that she had been sent to her room the previous night for disobeying her mom. As she sat in her room and thought about what she had done to get herself in trouble, this child said that she started to feel so bad. She remembered how much her mom had done for her and how much she cared, and the little girl felt horrible about the way she had behaved. I was able to encourage her and help her understand that she felt guilty and ashamed, and that her conscience was responsible for these feelings. We talked about how a conscience can help us know right from wrong, how it's always with us, and how it can lead us to decide to do the right thing even when it's hard. What an insightful, honest, articulate child, and what a wonderful life lesson for all of us to learn and to live by!