Mapagkakatiwalaan ang aral na ito. Kaya’t ang nais ko’y buong tiyaga mong ituro ito sa mga nananalig sa Diyos upang ilaan nila ang kanilang sarili sa paggawa ng mabuti, na siyang karapat-dapat at kapaki-pakinabang sa mga tao.

Tito 3:8

Freya, a sixth-grader, was caught cheating during exams. Pinatawag ng principal ang mommy niya. Before entering the principal’s office, the mom looked Freya in the eye and sternly said, “Kahit anong mangyari, ’wag kang aamin! Mawawala ka sa Top 1 ’pag umamin ka!”

Meanwhile, nag-park ang binatilyong si Pilo in front of a neighbor’s house. The owner of the house went to the gate and nicely told Pilo to park somewhere dahil dadating na ang pinadeliver niyang sofa at kailangan ng parking  space to unload the bulky items. Pero maanghang na sumagot si Pilo, “This road is public property. Besides, I was born and raised here. Sabi ni Dad, mas may right kami kasi decades na kami nakatira sa village na ‘to.”

While Freya’s mom condoned cheating and even taught her to get away from the consequences of her offenses, tinuruan naman si Pilo ng fake protocols ng tatay niya, and even coached him to be arrogant and entitled.  

How unfortunate that the very people who should be teaching kids to be good persons are sometimes the ones who lead them into delinquency. These parents are raising children to be liars, exploiters, and manipulators. Parenting is a calling. Our children are our responsibility. Hindi sapat na pakainin, bihisan, pag-aralin natin sila. We are to train them in the way they should go — and that is, in the ways of the Lord.