Remember, children are born with a decided bias toward evil. Therefore, if we let them choose for themselves, they are certain to choose wrong.
The mother cannot tell what her tender infant may grow up to be: tall or short, weak or strong, wise or foolish; he may be any of these things or not — it is all uncertain. But one thing the mother can say with certainty: He will have a corrupt and sinful heart. It is natural to us to do wrong. “Foolishness,” God says, “is bound in the heart of a child” (Prov. 22:15). “A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame” (Prov. 29:15).
If, then, we would deal wisely with our child, we must not leave him to the guidance of his own will. We must think for him and judge for him, just as we would for one weak and blind, but we should not give him up to his own wayward tastes and inclinations. It must not be his likings and wishes that are consulted. He knows not yet what is good for his mind and soul, any more than what is good for his body. Do not let him decide what he shall eat and what he shall drink and how he shall be clothed. What shameful scenes at the table might be avoided if parents would seek divine wisdom as to what is best to put on the child’s plate.
If we do not consent to this first divine principle of training, it is useless to read any further. Self-will is almost the first thing that appears in the child’s mind, and it must be our first step to resist it. The best horse in the world had to be broken.