Love is an even more fulfilling motivation to do good. Glenn Austin, author of Love and Power: Parent and Child, states: “In a harmonious family where the child both loves and respects the parent, the child may behave in an approved way to please the parent.” Jehovah’s Witnesses work hard to create such a warm cycle of love in their homes. Additionally, the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses are raised to know and love the God they serve, Jehovah. What a powerful force in their lives for the doing of good! They need no mythical figure to extort good works.

Jehovah’s Witnesses cherish their children as gifts from God. (Psalm 127:3) Hence, instead of waiting for the calendar to govern gift giving, these parents can give presents throughout the year. At such times it is difficult to tell who is more thrilled​—the surprised youngster or his delighted parent. The child knows where the gift came from. Further, Witness parents are encouraged to give frequently the gift of their time. For when a little girl is feeling sad or lonely, how can a roomful of dolls compare with a few moments spent wrapped in her mother’s arms listening to Mommy tell stories about when she was little? Will a young boy be taught how to be a man by a closetful of baseball equipment or by long, pleasant talks with his father as they go for walks together?

This nurtured closeness can be lifesaving. Child researchers have found that as the proverbial generation gap opens for a youth, he becomes more strongly influenced by peers. Youthful misbehavior and a deteriorating attitude toward adults go hand in hand. “But those who maintained favorable views of their fathers and adults in general didn’t join with other peers in misbehaviors.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses have at times been criticized for not sharing in holiday fun with their families. It may appear that the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses are deprived of this special fun. But these sincere parents and children have sound Biblical reasons for abstaining. (Please see pages 11-14.) And these youngsters are developing strong moral fiber that will withstand the weight of peer pressure that crushes the will of other youths. Morality is being washed away by the rising tide of wickedness. Immoral sex, drugs, violence, alcohol, cults, child molesters​—ever so many dangers threaten vulnerable young people.

How can a parent shield a youngster from these constant perils? From infancy Witness children receive consistent training to lean on the strong moral laws of the Bible. Loving parents help them to understand God’s view not only about holidays but about all aspects of life. Obedience to their God springs from love and respect for him, even if it means being different. Imagine how this must prepare them for successful young adulthood! If a young child can sit in a class full of peers who are doing what seems to be fun and take a stand for what he believes is right, how much better he is able to withstand the later temptation of further seemingly fun things​—drugs, premarital sex, and other harmful enticements! The children of Jehovah’s Witnesses may develop a moral fiber that many other children may be deprived of.

‘Won’t It Stifle the Children?’

But isn’t a strict religious upbringing stifling to a young child? Isn’t it better to let religious decisions be made by each one upon reaching adulthood? That may be rule number 3 of 12 Rules for Raising Delinquent Children: “Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is 21 and then let him ‘decide for himself.’”

However, a child’s basic moral sense, according to Dr. Coles, begins to bud as early as three years of age. “Within the child there is a developing moral sense. I happen to think it is God-given, that there is a craving for a moral order.” This is the crucial time for the inculcation of the true moral values. It is the time, for instance, to teach by example the value of truthfulness as opposed to lying. The Bible stresses the importance of training during the youthful years: “Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.”​—Proverbs 22:6.

Curran observes: “Children today can’t be expected to be moral without help. . . . My survey respondents suggest that the healthier the family the more developed is their sense of right and wrong.”