Q&A: Educating Children
Educating Children
Question
As the father of a two-and-a-half-year-old child, I sometimes run into an internal conflict about my right to educate him toward behaviors that I myself do not follow. For example, I enjoy drinking sugary drinks, but when my son asks to do the same, I ask myself whether I have the moral right to accustom him to habits that I myself do not see fit to change. Is it morally proper to educate a child toward behavior that I myself am unable to live up to?
Answer
In my opinion, definitely yes. This is being done for his sake, not for yours. If you fail, why assume that he has no chance either? And just because you fail, does that mean you are allowed to harm him? The question is whether this is proper education, and that has nothing to do with whether you yourself live up to it. There are, of course, arguments about personal example, without which the education may fail. Those are claims on the practical level, not the principled one, and even they are not really necessary and are not always correct. In any case, it is clear that if you want to succeed, it is best not to do it in front of him.