Editorial April 16, 1979 Issue

Parental responsibility

Naomi Price

It has been said that parenthood is for adults only—meaning that a high degree of maturity and responsibility is required to fulfill the demands of bringing up children.

Strong demands are made on parental affection. One might say that ideal parents express not only affection but patience, persistence, spiritual strength with gentleness, integrity, and many other qualities derived from the divine Principle that is Love. They have high moral standards and display in their own lives the self-discipline that comes from allowing Truth to govern their own thoughts and actions. If they do display all these qualities at home, their children are indeed blessed by their example—but so, also, are those whose more average human parents express not all but just some of these qualities are trying to do better.

Parenthood is a continuing responsibility. For many years it demands more than casual, intermittent attention. Young mothers and fathers should face the fact that the need for sustained, daily self-sacrifice does not cease with weaning. It may even intensify as the crawling stage gives way to walking, and eventually to driving the family car.

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