Mother’s Helpers
213
God wants the children of all believers to be trained from their
earliest years to share the burdens that their parents must bear in caring
for them. To them is given a portion of the home for their rooms and
the right and privilege of having a place at the family board. God
requires parents to feed and clothe their children. But the obligations
of parents and children are mutual. On their part children are required
to respect and honor their parents
Parents are not to be slaves to their children, doing all the sac-
rificing, while the children are permitted to grow up careless and
unconcerned, letting all the burdens rest upon their parents
Indolence Taught Through Mistaken Kindness—Children
should be taught very young to be useful, to help themselves, and
to help others. Many daughters of this age can, without remorse of
conscience, see their mothers toiling, cooking, washing, or ironing,
while they sit in the parlor and read stories, knit edging, crochet, or
embroider. Their hearts are as unfeeling as a stone.
But where does this wrong originate? Who are the ones usually
most to blame in this matter? The poor, deceived parents. They over-
look the future good of their children and, in their mistaken fondness,
let them sit in idleness or do that which is of but little account, which
requires no exercise of the mind or muscles, and then excuse their
indolent daughters because they are weakly. What has made them
weakly? In many cases it has been the wrong course of the parents. A
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proper amount of exercise about the house would improve both mind
and body. But children are deprived of this through false ideas, until
they are averse to work
If your children have been unaccustomed to labor, they will soon
become weary. They will complain of side ache, pain in the shoulders,
and tired limbs; and you will be in danger, through sympathy, of doing
the work yourselves rather than have them suffer a little. Let the burden
upon the children be very light at first, and then increase it a little every
day, until they can do a proper amount of labor without becoming so
weary
5
Manuscript 128, 1901
.
6
Manuscript 126, 1897
.
7
Testimonies For The Church 1:686
.
8
Ibid., 1:686
.