192
Child Guidance
not only sinned against you, but against God. With your heart full
of pity and sorrow for your erring children, pray with them before
correcting them. Then they will see that you do not punish them
[253]
because they have put you to inconvenience, or because you wish to
vent your displeasure upon them, but from a sense of duty, for their
good; and they will love and respect you
That prayer may make such an impression on their minds that they
will see that you are not unreasonable. And if the children see that you
are not unreasonable, you have gained a great victory. This is the work
that is to be carried on in our family circles in these last days
The Effectiveness of Prayer in a Disciplinary Crisis—Do not
threaten them with the wrath of God if they do wrong, but bring them
in your prayers to Christ
Before you cause your child physical pain, you will, if you are a
Christian father or mother, reveal the love you have for your erring
one. As you bow before God with your child, you will present before
the sympathizing Redeemer His own words, “Suffer the little children
to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of
God.”
Mark 10:14
. That prayer will bring angels to your side. Your
child will not forget these experiences, and the blessing of God will rest
upon such instruction, leading him to Christ. When children realize
that their parents are trying to help them, they will bend their energies
in the right direction
Personal Experiences in Discipline—I never allowed my chil-
dren to think that they could plague me in their childhood. I also
brought up in my family others from other families, but I never al-
lowed those children to think that they could plague their mother.
Never did I allow myself to say a harsh word or to become impatient
or fretful over the children. They never got the better of me once—not
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once, to provoke me to anger. When my spirit was stirred, or when I
felt anything like being provoked, I would say, “Children, we shall let
this rest now; we shall not say anything more about it now. Before we
retire, we shall talk it over.” Having all this time to reflect, by evening
they had cooled off, and I could handle them very nicely....
27
The Signs of the Times, April 10, 1884
.
28
Manuscript 73, 1909
.
29
Manuscript 27, 1893
.
30
Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 117, 118
.