Douglas Wilson on Educating Children

Wilson writes,

Christian parents must take into account three things as they consider their obligation to educate their children. The first is the instruction that children should live in an environment dominated by Scripture. We must not dismiss such passages as pertaining only to a simple agrarian culture. If life in the latter half of the twentieth century is more complex, it does not follow that we have less need for instruction in the law of God! If God wanted children then to think about everything in the light of His Word, then this practice is certainly as necessary now. In a more complex society, there is more to think about. Obviously, instruction on Sunday only is not enough. A thorough Biblical instruction can only be provided when related to all of life. Teaching must occur when we walk, drive, sit, and lie down. Nothing can be clearer--God wants the children of His people to live in an environment conditioned by His Word. Parents who want their children to be equipped to face the world that will exist twenty years from now will need to give this kind of comprehensive instruction in God’s word. 


In our family, we have done many things to maintain this kind of environment. Our son has listened to hours of Bible tapes as he has drifted off to sleep. We have sung hymns in the car as we traveled. We have had vigorous dinner table discussions of various theological issues. As our children were learning to talk, I would teach them a word (say, moon), and then I asked them, “Who made the moon?” “God!” God’s Word should not be limited to devotions.” And as our children go off to school, we are grateful that their formal education reinforces what we do as a family.

Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning: An Approach to Distinctly Christian Education. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991. p. 48.