Parents Fail to Understand Correct Principles—It is heart-saddening to see the imbecility of parents in the exercise of their God-given authority. Men who in everything else are consistent and intelligent fail to understand the principles that should be brought into the training of their little ones. They fail to give them right instruction at the very time when right instruction, a godly example, and firm decision are most needed to lead in right lines the inexperienced minds that are ignorant of the deceptive and dangerous influences that they must meet with everywhere. (CG 237.1) MC VC

The greatest suffering has come upon the human family because parents have departed from the divine plan to follow their own imaginings and imperfectly developed ideas. Many parents follow impulse. They forget that the present and future good of their children requires intelligent discipline. (CG 237.2) MC VC

God Accepts No Excuse for Mismanagement—Rebellion is too frequently established in the hearts of children through the wrong discipline of the parents, when if a proper course had been taken, the children would have formed good and harmonious characters. (CG 237.3) MC VC

While parents have the power to discipline, educate, and train their children, let them exert that power for God. He requires from them pure, faultless, undeviating obedience. He will tolerate nothing else. He will make no excuse for the mismanagement of children. (CG 237.4) MC VC

Overcome Natural Spirit of Obstinacy—Some children are naturally more obstinate than others and will not yield to discipline, and in consequence they make themselves very unattractive and disagreeable. If the mother has not wisdom to deal with this phase of character, a most unhappy state of affairs will follow; for such children will have their own way to their destruction. But how terrible for a child to cherish a spirit of obstinacy not only in childhood, but in more mature years, and because of a lack of agreement in childhood, nourish bitterness and unkindness in manhood and womanhood toward the mother who failed to bring her children under restraint. (CG 237.5) MC VC

Never Tell Child, “I Cannot Do Anything With You.”—Never let your child hear you say, “I cannot do anything with you.” As long as we may have access to the throne of God, we as parents should be ashamed to utter any such word. Cry unto Jesus, and He will help you to bring your little ones to Him. (CG 238.1) MC VC

Family Government to Be Diligently Studied—I have heard mothers say that they had not the ability to govern which others have, that it is a peculiar talent which they do not possess. Those who realize their deficiency in this respect should make the subject of family government their most diligent study. And yet the most valuable suggestions of others should not be adopted without thought and discrimination. They may not be equally adapted to the circumstances of every mother, or to the peculiar disposition and temperament of each child in the family. Let the mother study with care the experience of others, note the difference between their methods and her own, and carefully test those that may appear to be of real value. If one mode of discipline does not produce the desired results, let another plan be tried, and the effects carefully noted. (CG 238.2) MC VC

Mothers, above all others, should accustom themselves to thought and investigation. If they will persevere in this course, they will find that they are acquiring the faculty in which they thought themselves deficient, that they are learning to form aright the characters of their children. The result of the labor and thought given to this work will be seen in their obedience, their simplicity, their modesty and purity; and it will richly repay all the effort made. (CG 238.3) MC VC