22
Child Guidance
will do no good. Talk to your children as if you had confidence in
their intelligence. Deal with them kindly, tenderly, lovingly. Tell them
what God would have them do. Tell them that God would have them
educated and trained to be laborers together with Him. When you act
your part, you can trust the Lord to act His part
Take Time to Reason—Every mother should take time to reason
with her children, to correct their errors, and patiently teach them the
right way
Vary the Manner of Instruction—The greatest care should be
taken in the education of youth, to vary the manner of instruction so
as to call forth the high and noble powers of the mind.... There are
very few who realize the most essential wants of the mind, and how to
[34]
direct the developing intellect, the growing thoughts and feelings of
youth
Teach the First Lessons in the Out-of-doors—Mothers, let the
little ones play in the open air; let them listen to the songs of the birds
and learn the love of God as expressed in His beautiful works. Teach
them simple lessons from the book of nature and the things about
them; and as their minds expand, lessons from books may be added
and firmly fixed in their memory
The cultivation of the soil is good work for children and youth. It
brings them into direct contact with nature and nature’s God. And that
they may have this advantage, there should be, as far as possible, in
connection with our schools, large flower gardens and extensive lands
for cultivation.
An education amid such surroundings is in accordance with the
directions which God has given for the instruction of youth....
To the nervous child or youth, who finds lessons from books ex-
hausting and hard to remember, it will be especially valuable. There is
health and happiness for him in the study of nature; and the impres-
sions made will not fade out of his mind, for they will be associated
with objects that are continually before his eyes
8
Manuscript 33:3, 1909
.
9
Testimonies For The Church 1:390
.
10
Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 73
.
11
Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 146
.
12
Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 186, 187
.