train up a child

Train up a child in the way they should go; and, when he is old, he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

People often mistake "training" with "education", but they are very different things...

Education is basically throwing information at a someone and seeing what sticks...

Those who believe that the basic nature of man is good think that all a child needs is enough education and the right environment for them to be functional, well-behaved, and successful people.

This sounds nice, but is not in line with reality.

It is not consistent with what God has revealed about the way we function in our "Owner's Manual", the Bible.

Reality is, we are all born with a fallen nature.

No one has to teach a child to lie, steal, or behave selfishly.  We all come out of the womb that way, and a child has to be trained differently.

Training involves consistency and repetition -- doing it over again and again until it is done right.

It takes years of consistency and repetition to instill the "way they should go" into a child.  The younger and earlier this training is started, the better.