The Duties of Parents

To be a parent is to be intimately concerned with your children’s welfare - who they are, who they become, and what to do. But, as with many things, there is a line carefully walked between being concerned and being smothering, teaching your children and controlling them.

Mormons have always believed very strongly in free will, but they also believe very strongly in community. We are individuals, we are also connected, and we should always treat others with love and respect, especially if they depend on us, as children do. To be self sufficient is not, in the beliefs of Mormonism, to be alone. Thus, parents must teach children to earn their own keep and be their own person, while also keeping family ties strong.

They must give their children love and instruction. They must guide their children and be willing to discipline. But they must not make their children feel endlessly judged or unwelcome.

The Mormon faith recognizes that parenting is difficult, but asserts that it’s a role with endless and eternal importance, and that God will guide the parents as they strive to guide their children.

Responsibility: Mothers and Fathers

In Mormonism, mothers and fathers play sacred and separate roles—and equal ones.  Mormons do believe strongly in the traditional family, but they also believe that fathers should be very involved in family, as well as in “bread-winning,” and that mothers are not to be subservient to fathers. (Read more)

Loving Your Children

Children love you.  They are born loving their parents.  It’s part of who they are as children.  And it’s absolutely essential to love them back.  They can’t help loving you and if you restrain yourself from loving them, if you don’t act loving and nurturing, there’s little else you can do to make up for it.  (Read more)

Teaching Your Children

A child’s first classroom is the home—and the home is probably the most important “classroom” there is, at that.  Not only in the intellectual sense, but in the emotional and moral and social sense as well.  In fact, researchers believe that children can’t perform as well in school as they might if parents don’t take an active hand in their education.  (Read more)

Discipline and Love

Sometimes, it seems as if anything goes in today’s world, including misbehavior.  But while some parents let their children do as they will, regardless of what effect it has on the child and others, some go too far in the opposite direction.  What do Mormons believe?  (Read more)

Decreasing Sibling Rivalry

Sibling rivalry is very common and possibly inevitable, in Mormon families as well as all, but you can decrease the conflict that your children have with each other.  Prepare your children for the arrival of more siblings and teach them how to interact with each other without fighting. (Read more)

Raising Children with Disabilities

In the beliefs of Mormonism, all children are precious in the eyes of God and all children have infinite worth, regardless of the difficulties they may be born with.  Parents usually do not expect to have disabled children and it is natural to find it initially upsetting.  Research shows that, ultimately, parents feel that their lives and families are blessed by the presence of the disabled children, but the adjustment can take time. (Read more)