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Child-rearing

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From Urantia Wiki, the encyclopedia of The Urantia Book

Also: child culture.

It is not best for too many years to intervene between the ages of a family of children. 55:3.10

help wisely your childs to choose their heroes and select their lifework. 140:5.14

The child should be introduced to worship in nature’s outdoors and later accompany his parents to public houses of religious assembly which are at least as materially attractive and artistically beautiful as the home in which he is daily domiciled. 167:6.6

Children are permanently impressed only by the loyalties of their adult associates; precept or even example is not lastingly influential. 100:1.4

the entire religious experience of a child is largely dependent on whether fear or love has dominated the parent-child relationship. 92:7.11 103:2.3 177:2.2

child education has become so difficult today because of racial mixing, artificial education and the absence of parents in education 84:7.21-24

In the Urantia Book

Indispensable requirement

Discipline

  • Farseeing fathers make provision for the necessary discipline, guidance, correction, and sometimes restraint of their young and immature offspring. 66:7.5 127:4.3 142:2.4 142:7.9 143:1.4 177:2.7 188:4.10
  • Jesus advised that punishment is only necessary when children are very young 142:2.4
  • children should grow up conscious of being God’s children 103:2.2-10
  • When children are young and unthinking, they must necessarily be admonished to honor their parents; but when they grow older and become somewhat more appreciative of the benefits of the parental ministry and protection, they are led up, through understanding respect and increasing affection, to that level of experience where they actually love their parents for what they are more than for what they have done. 66:7.15 93:4.13 131:2.12 149:6.6 153:3.3 163:2.4

Historically

  • Adamite children were subjected to courses of training in agriculture, craftsmanship, and animal husbandry or else were educated to perform the threefold duty of a Sethite: to be priest, physician, and teacher. 76:3.9
  • Among the tribes the boy remained under the watchcare of his father as long as the father lived, while the girl was left in the care of her mother until married. 70:8.12
  • The great weakness in Roman civilization, and a factor in the ultimate collapse of the empire, was the supposed liberal and advanced provision for the emancipation of the boy at twenty-one 71:1.22

In other planets

  • in the continental nation of a neighboring planet both mothers and fathers attend childcare schools, and parents are expected to provide the most valuable part of their children's education 72:3

Jesus and relatives education

Jesus’ practices

  • children had regular duties in Jesus’ household 126:5.11
  • Jesus began wise discipline upon his brothers and sisters at such an early age that little or no punishment was ever required to secure their prompt and wholehearted obedience. 127:4.3
  • He was a real though youthful father to the family; he spent every possible hour with the youngsters, and they truly loved him. 127:1.8
  • No penalty was attached to the violation of personal teachings. 127:4.5
  • Jesus won his mother to the acceptance of his methods of child training—the positive injunction to do good in the place of the older Jewish method of forbidding to do evil. 127:4.2-6 140:5.9
  • In the course of a conversation with young John Mark, Jesus spent considerable time comparing their early childhood and later boyhood experiences. 177:2
  • the love and wisdom of parents at home is essential for the education of children 160:2.6 177:2.2

Parents’ attitude

  • Some degree of recognition and a certain amount of appreciation are essential to the development of human character. 160:2.6
  • espect of the child for his parents arises as a result of the care, training, and affection which are lovingly displayed in assisting the child to win the battle of life 84:7.26
  • Saying “come with me” so you can see by yourself is the most effective education technique. Parents may learn that instead of saying to their children “Go do this and go do that” is saying “Come with us while we show and share with you the better way”. 139:5.8
  • The advancing ideals of family life are leading to the concept that bringing a child into the world, instead of conferring certain parental rights, entails the supreme responsibility of human existence. 84:7.25-26
  • when early moral awakenings of children are nurtured, there occurs a gradual development of the religious life which is comparatively free from conflicts, upheavals, and crises. 103:2.3
  • watchcare of family must take precedence of all duties 126:3.5
  • wise fathers carefully plan children’s education 142:7.8

Warnings

  • In dealing with children, we must avoid all deception and refrain from suggesting suspicion. 140:5.14
  • a bad environment can spoil excellent inheritance, at least during younger years 76:2.6
  • It is a great error to teach boys and young men that it is unmanly to show tenderness or otherwise to give evidence of emotional feeling or physical suffering. 140:5.16
  • modern insubordination is caused by protecting children from consequences of foolish conduct 84:7.20
  • a wise parent never takes sides in the petty quarrels of his own children 128:1.14 141:3.3
  • overindulgence adds to delinquency and demoralization; encompasses moral undoing 147:5.9 177:2.2
  • overprotection is harmful; we must allow child to have original experience 177:2.2-4
  • overprotection makes child self-conscious, self-centered 123:0.2
  • man is not saved or ennobled by pressure. Spirit growth springs from within the evolving soul. Pressure may deform the personality, but it never stimulates growth. 103:5.11
  • the divine love is not that shortsighted affection which pamper and spoil the children. 118:10.1
  • And any attempt to shift parental responsibility to state or church will prove suicidal to the welfare and advancement of civilization. 84:7.27
  • Give every developing child a chance to grow his own religious experience; do not force a ready-made adult experience upon him. 100:1.3

Bible parallels

Passages that the paragraphs cited above parallel, quote or reinterpret, from Duane Faw’s Paramony cross-references. Hover a reference to read it.

Where it appears

Child-rearing is linked in 7 paragraphs of the text.

47:1.672:3.280:3.583:7.684:3.884:7.2184:8.4

See also

ChildrenContinental nationCro-MagnonsDelinquencyDisciplineEducationFamilyFathersHomeIndulgenceMarriageMothersOverprotectionParentsRed race
Categories: Concepts and teachings