Susannah Wesley's Rules for Child-Training

Susannah Wesley had 19 children. She raised them with the following 16 rules:


1. No eating between meals

2. All children in bed by 8:00 P.M.

3. Take your medicine without complaining.

4. Subdue self-will in each child.

5. Work with God to save the soul of each child.

6. Teach the child to pray as soon he can speak.

7. Require all to be still during the family worship.

8. Give children nothing they cry for.

9. Give them only what they ask for politely.

10. To prevent lying, punish no fault which is first confessed.

11. Do not allow a sinful act to go unpunished.

12. Command and reward good behavior.

13. Preserve property rights, even in the smallest matters.

14. Strictly observe all promises.

15. Require no daughter to work before she can read well.

16. Teach children to fear the rod.


Would it not be good if godly mothers would set up a few rules by which their children could be raised? If we had more mothers like Mrs. Wesley maybe we would have more sons like Charles and John Wesley.