190. The Child
Today’s reading: “The Ministry of Healing” pp. 379-381a.
We’ve been reading about the inheritance, the legacy that the parents give their newborn. Today we start a section on the “careful training… in strict temperance (self-control)” and “right management” of the young child.
Too much importance cannot be placed upon the early training of children.
because
The lessons learned, the habits formed, during the years of infancy and childhood, have more to do with the formation of the character and the direction of the life than have all the instruction and training of after years.
Nothing after childhood will have as great an effect on on our character and the course of our life as our early habits.
…nothing which affects the child’s physical well-being is to be neglected. Nothing is unimportant. Every influence that affects the health of the body has its bearing upon mind and character.
“Physical, mental and moral health” depend on principles derived from an understanding of:
- Physiology — how the body functions
- The body/mind connection
- The causes of death, disease and degeneracy.
As the footnote says, the high infant mortality of Ellen’s day has been reduced but now most deaths come from lifestyle diseases; obesity, cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer and diabetes. Despite this, Ellen’s statement still applies,
Most of the evils that are bringing misery and ruin to the race might be prevented, and the power to deal with them rests to a great degree with parents.
We can’t blame God or bad luck for most deaths. Especially today, the blame lies squarely with habits formed in childhood.
