Administration of Corrective Discipline
191
may have wisdom, patience, kindness, and love in dealing with the
refractory elements in the home
Caution to a Quick-tempered Father—Bro. L., have you con-
sidered what a child is, and whither it is going? Your children are the
younger members of the Lord’s family—brothers and sisters entrusted
to your care by your heavenly Father for you to train and educate for
heaven. When you are handling them so roughly as you have fre-
quently done, do you consider that God will call you to account for
this dealing? You should not use your children thus roughly. A child is
not a horse or a dog to be ordered about according to your imperious
will, or to be controlled under all circumstances by a stick or whip, or
by blows with the hand. Some children are so vicious in their tempers
that the infliction of pain is necessary, but very many cases are made
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much worse by this manner of discipline....
Never raise your hand to give them a blow unless you can with
a clear conscience bow before God and ask His blessing upon the
correction you are about to give. Encourage love in the hearts of
your children. Present before them high and correct motives for self-
restraint. Do not give them the impression that they must submit to
control because it is your arbitrary will, because they are weak, and
you are strong, because you are the father, they the children. If you
wish to ruin your family, continue to govern by brute force, and you
will surely succeed
Never Shake an Offending Child—Parents have not given their
children the right education. Frequently they manifest the same imper-
fections which are seen in the children. They eat improperly, and this
calls their nervous energies to the stomach, and they have no vitality
to expand in other directions. They cannot properly control their chil-
dren because of their own impatience; neither can they teach them the
right way. Perhaps they take hold of them roughly and give them an
impatient blow. I have said that to shake a child would shake two evil
spirits in, while it would shake one out. If a child is wrong, to shake it
only makes it worse. It will not subdue it
First Use Reason and Prayer—First reason with your children,
clearly point out their wrongs, and impress upon them that they have
24
Manuscript 79, 1901
.
25
Testimonies For The Church 2:259, 260
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26
Testimonies For The Church 2:365
.