public function children($id, $column) // The immediate subordinates of a node ie. no grand children
    {
        $single = (!is_array($column)) ? $column : false;
        $children = array();
        if ($stmt = $this->db->query('SELECT '.$this->id.', '.implode(', ', (array) $column).' FROM '.$this->table.' WHERE parent = ? ORDER BY lft', $id, 'assoc')) {