The Responsibilities of Parents

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 18, 1910

The Responsibilities of Parents

THIS is an age in the world's history when much is done by proxy. There is a tendency to delegate to others individual responsibility. We see this particularly manifested in the home life. There are many influences to detract the attention and interest of the father and mother from their parental responsibility and the training of their children. Club life, the demands of society, and other untoward influences have led many parents to turn the training of their children over to others. The following words are from one of our exchanges with reference to this growing tendency:—

The old-fashioned mother and the old-fashioned father have become almost obsolete in the large cities. Modern mothers and fathers have ceased to take their responsibility seriously. During the early days of the child's life the task of looking after manners and education is largely shifted to the schools. The education of children, consequently, has become more automatic, and, naturally, lacks the individual touch of refinement and breeding that can be obtained only in the home. Few schools teach kindness, gentleness, courtesy, or unselfishness. Such qualities can be thoroughly inculcated only in the home. It is only by the father making a chum of his boy, and the mother a friend of her girl, that the miracle of a gracious character can be wrought. If fathers would make confidants of their sons, and mothers confidants of their daughters, teaching them to share adversity or prosperity like partners, there would be less dissatisfaction and less extravagance among the growing generation. By unselfishness they would teach unselfishness; by kindness they would teach kindness; by courtesy they would teach courtesy. And the world would be the gainer.

There is no factor so powerful in the life of the child as the influence of a Christian home. Parents should sense not only their responsibility, but, above all, their blessed privilege, in training their children for lives of usefulness.