7 Pillars of a Quality Education: Part Four

This is part four of a 7 part blog post series, taken from Joyce Burges’s book, “Teach Me How To Teach My Child”, available on Amazon.

Teach Your Children That Education Is Their “Own” Work

Engaging your child’s mind is hard work.  Most children need enlightenment to preserve them, instruction to keep them, and direction to lead them. 

The first and most important object of education is to tell the child that no one can do this work for him; that he must do it himself.   Nothing in this world will benefit them more than disciplining their mind to make it fit for the Master’s use.  The child who can do this has mastered many future problems.  To teach them that education is their own work, a parent must exhibit certain qualities in their own lives…self-control, unconditional love, and long-suffering. 

Self-control – the parent must be able to control his/herself in order to teach the lasting virtues.  The goal is not to create super-beings, but to take the mind of a child and form it for the purpose of life.  To reach deep inside the spirit of the child so that they can see more clearly and understand the truth of God as it pertains to their life, tailoring all educational skills to meet the specific needs of a child.  

Unconditional Love – All parents know that without love you can do nothing; however, with unconditional love all things are possible.  Loving labor is essential to the success of your children.   Diligence consists in doing things well, and doing them in the most excellent manner.  We must inquire into their hearts and grasp the opportunity of the moment – the sharpness, the quick memory, the joy of learning something different and new…they must see that we love what we do.

Long Suffering – Longsuffering is the sister to patience and the cousin to endurance.  Children should learn for themselves.  The world will judge them harshly so they must be impeccable. 

Encourage them to form good habits and good manners now while they are young.  Teach them character. Teach them to begin a regiment of good discipline and hard work, which, in the coming years will serve them well.  There is no other way to knowledge except by wisdom.  A parent must go deep down into the innermost part of the child’s spirit to draw out the understanding that is within. 

Remember, that the wise counsel of a loving and patient parent will someday be the strength and the confidence of the adult.