The first principle of education to instil into the mind of a child, is that of unhesitating obedience . The time for doing this is the moment at which it can be perceived that the child distinctly apprehends the nature of any command, no matter what, that is laid upon it. Seeing that nothing is to be gained by resistance, it sinks down into submission as a matter of course. Every time that it refrains from doing some forbidden thing which it desires, it is practising self control, and self-denial, and is advancing a step towards the mastery of its passions. Some people talk about the management of children as if it were a science, and read all the books they can find to instruct them in it.
Nothing is, however in reality, more simple.
And thus they will be prepared to receive the seeds of those higher moral and religious principles by which, as heirs of immortality, they are to be educated for a better and an endless life. The entire submission which we are entitled to require at the hands of our children, is a type of that obedience which we, on our part, owe to the Great Father of the universe. In terms sufficiently plain, he has made known to us his will. Just as reasonable is it in us to do this as it would be in our infant children to refuse obedience to our commands until their understandings should be sufficiently matured to enable them to comprehend the reasons for which they were given.