Before visitors, before every other consideration, your children should come first.... The labor due your child during its early years will admit of no neglect. There is no time in its life when the rule should be forgotten. (AH 267.1) MC VC

Do not send them out-of-doors that you may entertain your visitors, but teach them to be quiet and respectful in the presence of visitors. (AH 267.2) MC VC

Mothers to Be Models of Goodness and Nobility—Mothers, be careful of your precious moments. Remember that your children are passing forward where they may be beyond your educating and training. You may be to them the very model of all that is good and pure and noble. Identify your interest with theirs. (AH 267.3) MC VC

If you fail in everything else, be thorough, be efficient, here. If your children come forth from the home training pure and virtuous, if they fill the least and lowest place in God’s great plan of good for the world, your life can never be called a failure and can never be reviewed with remorse. (AH 267.4) MC VC

Infant children are a mirror for the mother in which she may see reflected her own habits and deportment. How careful, then, should be her language and behavior in the presence of these little learners! Whatever traits of character she wishes to see developed in them she must cultivate in herself. (AH 267.5) MC VC

Aim Higher Than the World’s Standard—The mother should not be governed by the world’s opinion, nor labor to reach its standard. She should decide for herself what is the great end and aim of life and then bend all her efforts to attain that end. She may, for want of time, neglect many things about her house, with no serious evil results; but she cannot with impunity neglect the proper discipline of her children. Their defective characters will publish her unfaithfulness. The evils which she permits to pass uncorrected, the coarse, rough manners, the disrespect and disobedience, the habits of idleness and inattention, will reflect dishonor upon her and embitter her life. Mothers, the destiny of your children rests to a great extent in your hands. If you fail in duty, you may place them in Satan’s ranks, and make them his agents to ruin other souls. Or your faithful discipline and godly example may lead them to Christ, and they in turn will influence others, and thus many souls may be saved through your instrumentality. (AH 267.6) MC VC