Faith

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:55:00 +0000

It is a rare father or mother indeed who travels the difficult path of parenting without making errors along the way, especially at these first-time milestones when experience and understanding are somewhat lacking. Even after the parent has gained experience, the second-time and third-time occurences of these milestone are sometimes not much easier to handle, nor do they come with much less chance of error.

What more challenging responsibility is there than working effectively with young people? Numerous variables determine the caracter and the personality of a child. It is probably true that parents are, in many or perhaps most cases, the greatest influence in shaping the life of a child, but sometimes other influences are also very significant. No one knows the degree to which heredity influences lives, but certaintly brothers and sisters, friends and teachers, neighbors and Scoutmasters have significant effects.

We know, too, that the influences on a child are not restricted to heredity or to people; certaintly, things in the physical surroundings wall have their effect -such as the house and the playthings, the yard and the neighborhood. Playgrounds and basketballs, dresses and cars- or the lack of these, all have their influence on the child.

One must conclude that -with the multitude of influences and the innumerable decisions, each with so many alternatives to consider and evaluate- even though parents strive to choose wisely, an unwise choice will sometimes be made. It is almost impossible always to say and do the right thing at every point along the way. I think we would agree that as parents we have made mistakes that have had a negative effect on the attitude of the child or on the child's progress. On the other hand, parents usually do the right thing or make the right decision under the circumstances, yet sons and daughters often have negative responses to right or correct decisions.

If a parent has made what could be considered an error -or, on the other hand, has never made a mistake, but still the lamb has wandered from the fold- in either case there are several thoughts I would like to share with you.

Continue in Faith

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:52:00 +0000

General Authorities have the privilege of meeting and getting acquainted with members of the Church all over the world who have consistently lived good lives and raised their families in the fluence of the gospel.

These Saints have enjoyed the great blessings and comfort that can come from looking back as parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents over long and successful parenting efforts. Surely that is something each of us would like.

Nevertheless, there are many in the Church and in the world who are living with the feelings of guilt and unworthiness because some of their sons and daughters have wandered or strayed from the fold. My remarks here are directed primarily to those mothers and fathers.

Conscientious parents try their best, yet nearly all have made mistakes. One does not launch into such a project as parenthood without soon realizing that there will be many errors along the way. Surely our Heavenly Father knows, when He entrusts His spirit children to the care of young and inezperienced parents, that there will be mistakes and errors in judgement.

For every set of parents there are many 'first time' experiennces that help to build wisdom and understanding, but each such experience results from the plowing of new ground, with the possibility that errors might be made. With the arrival of the first child, the parents must make decisions about how to teach and train, how to correct and discipline. Soon there is the first dat at school and the first bicycle. Then follows the first date of the first teenager, the first problem with school grades, and possibly, the first request to stay out late or the first request to buy a car.

How to Manage Family

Faith

Continue in Faith