Francisco and Rosa explain how they do this with their two young children.b

“Apart from everyday conversations, we try to speak to our children individually for a minimum of 15 minutes each day. When we spot a problem, we spend more time​—and we do encounter problems. For example, our five-year-old son recently came home from school and told us that he didn’t believe in Jehovah. Apparently, one of his classmates had made fun of him and said that there is no God.”

This has been the experience of Phyllis and Paul, who have successfully raised five children.

Phyllis recalls: “Although the personality of each child was unique, every one of them wanted to get his own way. It was tough, yet they eventually learned the meaning of the word ‘no.’” Paul, her husband, noted: “Often, we gave them reasons for our decisions if they were old enough to understand. Though we always tried to be kind, we taught them to respect our God-given authority.”