Parents Should Rear Their Children in Righteousness and Love

Today I read Proverbs 29 and was struck by the phrase a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.  Strangely enough, just yesterday in Elders Quorum meeting we were talking about children and what the father brings to the home.  One of the elders talked about his own experience growing up without a father and how he had to look to other men he knew to try and piece together what a man was and how a man behaved.  When a child is left without correction and direction, he/she is left to their own devices to try and figure out for themselves what is the right way to behave.  And as anyone who has been around children knows, a child is not wise enough to make their own decisions.  They will make choices entirely on the here and now, and not give any thought to the future.  This is why teenagers clash with their parents.  Parents have been down that road before and know the consequences of choices made today.  Sadly, almost no child/teenager listens and has to figure out for themselves that their parents actually knew what they were talking about.  The times may be different, and there may be more challenges, but parents really do know how to help their children navigate the harsh waters of childhood to adulthood.  If only children/teenagers were smart enough to listen.  Until tomorrow.