Dear editor,

During an advertisement for the Parenting Assistance Line, I heard something that caught my attention. Mrs. Patsy Riley, the wife of our governor, made a statement that there is no manual for raising children.

I believe there is a manual for raising children, and it is the holy Bible. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child,” and that is for parents and others to do.

The word, “train,” means to teach, put into the mouth. It implies the idea of condition, and that the parent is to be neither overly authoritarian nor overly permissive. Rather, he or she must balance love and discipline so as not to provoke his child to rebellion.

We, as a people, have forgotten what the Lord said, how we should raise our children. In fact, one of the commandments is to honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with promise. With this promise, it will be well with you and you may live long on the earth.

Training should help children develop a taste for the things of God. The biblical pattern of effective parental training emphasizes a balance of instructions and discipline.

The simple principle is that education in the home forms a man or woman throughout his or her lifetime.

Theophilus King

Andalusia