Articles From Our Bulletins
An Older Man Talks To Young Parents About...Parenting
His name? Moses. His advice?
"Teach them [the words of God] diligently to your sons..."
I'm no Hebrew scholar by any means, but I can read and what I read is this: that's not exactly what it says. It's kind of a watered-down version. What it says is: "inscribe them on your children." It means to cut the word of God into the fiber of their being.
How?
You teach virtue by requiring your kids to be virtuous. You teach faith by modeling it and using real-life opportunities to build it in your kids. You teach self-control by setting the parental example and by having the backbone, grit, and mettle to discipline and say, "No."
Kids believe their desires are paramount and the world revolves around them (in some homes it does). Self-control and virtue must be taught. You can't rely on schools to do your job. You can't rely on the media (certainly not social media) to do your job. You can't rely on their peers to do your job. You must do your job. Seriously, you won't get much help from anyone else.
Do not retreat from adult responsibility. Think carefully about the virtues you want them to have and "inscribe" them on their hearts.
It must have been important because Moses gave the same parenting instruction twice (ch. 6 and 11). I'm guessing he wanted to make sure they "got it." Hopefully, we "get it," too.
