Chapter 19—Responsibilities of Parenthood
Ellen White made many beautiful statements regarding the value
of the family, children, and the home. She fully recognized their im-
portance. At the same time she also recognized that young people
contemplating marriage should take into consideration all that is in-
volved in having children and rearing them to become all that God and
the parents would like them to be
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Counsel Regarding Becoming Parents—Those who assume the
responsibilities of parenthood should first consider whether they will
be able to surround their children with proper influences. The home is
both a family church and a family school. The atmosphere of the home
should be so spiritual that all the members of the family, parents and
children, will be blessed and strengthened by their association with
one another....
Many who enter the marriage relation fail of realizing all the sacred
responsibilities that motherhood brings. Many are sadly lacking in
disciplinary power. In many homes there is but little discipline, and
the children are allowed to do as they please. Such children drift
hither and thither; there is nobody in the home capable of guiding
them aright, nobody who with wise tact can teach them how to help
father and mother, nobody who can properly lay the foundation that
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should underlie their future education. Children who are surrounded
by these unfortunate conditions are indeed to be pitied. If not afforded
an opportunity for proper training outside the home, they are debarred
from many privileges that, by right, every child should enjoy. This is
the light that has been presented to me.
Those who are unable to train their children aright, should never
have assumed the responsibilities of parents. But because of their
mistaken judgment, shall we make no effort to help their little ones
to form right characters? God desires us to deal with these problems
sensibly.—
Selected Messages 3:214, 215 (1904)
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Be Careful in Assuming Responsibility of Parenthood—They
[parents] should understand the principles that underlie the care and
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