Parents should be the only teachers of their children until they have reached eight or ten years of age. As fast as their minds can comprehend it, the parents should open before them God’s great book of nature. The mother should have less love for the artificial in her house and in the preparation of her dress for display, and should find time to cultivate, in herself and in her children, a love for the beautiful buds and opening flowers. By calling the attention of her children to their different colors and variety of forms, she can make them acquainted with God, who made all the beautiful things which attract and delight them. She can lead their minds up to their Creator and awaken in their young hearts a love for their heavenly Father, who has manifested so great love for them. Parents can associate God with all His created works. The only schoolroom for children from eight to ten years of age should be in the open air amid the opening flowers and nature’s beautiful scenery. And their only textbook should be the treasures of nature. These lessons, imprinted upon the minds of young children amid the pleasant, attractive scenes of nature, will not be soon forgotten. {3T 137.2}

Forældre burde være de eneste lærere for deres børn indtil de har nået otte-, ti-årsalderen. Så langt som de kan fatte det, burde deres forældre åbne Guds store naturbog for dem. Moderen bør have mindre kærlighed for det kunstige inde i huset og for sine flotte klæder og bør finde tid, til at opelske, i sig selv og sine børn, en kærlighed for de smukke knopper og åbne blomster. Ved at drage sine børns opmærksomhed til deres forskellige farver og former, kan hun gøre dem bekendt med Gud, som har dannet alle de skønne ting som tiltrækker og oplyser dem. Hun kan lede deres tanker op til deres Skaber og vække en kærlighed i de unge hjerter for deres himmelske Fader, som har vist så stor en kærlighed for dem. Forældre kan henføre Gud til alle hans skabte værker. Det eneste klasseværelse der skal være for børn fra otte til ti-årsalderen burde være i den åbne luft blandt de åbne blomster og naturens skønne sceneri. Og deres eneste lærer bør være naturens rigdomme. Disse lektier, indprentet i de unge børns sind, midt iblandt naturens tiltrækkende sceneri, vil ikke glemmes så hurtigt.