142
The Adventist Home
With Your Children in Work and Play—Give some of your
leisure hours to your children; associate with them in their work and
in their sports, and win their confidence. Cultivate their friendship
Let parents devote the evenings to their families. Lay off care and
perplexity with the labors of the day
Counsel to Reserved, Dictatorial Parents—There is danger of
both parents and teachers commanding and dictating too much, while
they fail to come sufficiently into social relation with their children or
scholars. They often hold themselves too much reserved and exercise
their authority in a cold, unsympathizing manner which cannot win the
hearts of their children and pupils. If they would gather the children
close to them and show that they love them, and would manifest an
interest in all their efforts and even in their sports, sometimes even
being a child among children, they would make the children very
happy and would gain their love and win their confidence. And the
[193]
children would sooner respect and love the authority of their parents
and teachers
Evil Associates as Competitors of the Home—Satan and his
host are making most powerful efforts to sway the minds of the chil-
dren, and they must be treated with candor, Christian tenderness, and
love. This will give you a strong influence over them, and they will
feel that they can repose unlimited confidence in you. Throw around
your children the charms of home and of your society. If you do this,
they will not have so much desire for the society of young associates....
Because of the evils now in the world, and the restriction necessary
to be placed upon the children, parents should have double care to
bind them to their hearts and let them see that they wish to make them
happy
Parents to Be Acquainted With Their Children—No barrier of
coldness and reserve should be allowed to arise between parents and
children. Let parents become acquainted with their children, seeking
to understand their tastes and dispositions, entering into their feelings,
and drawing out what is in their hearts.
11
Counsels to Teachers, Parents, and Students, 124
.
12
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 65
.
13
Testimonies For The Church 3, 134, 135
.
14
Ibid., 1:387, 388
.