Only in the positive realms, - Soul and above - is perfection available. So you may as well relax, express yourself toward excellence, and give yourself and your loved ones room and permission to make mistakes. If you do, you're on the way up.

Kids, in their actions, teach each other to withstand the world. The play they go through teaches them how to win and lose both inside and outside. If they play a game and lose and become so frustrated that they have a temper tantrum or have to go to their room, they may not be learning. When they can say, "It was just a game," and go on to the next thing, then they're learning. If they can let the other children win, then they walk away winners, too. This is cooperation and flexibility.

Children have to be taught to laugh at themselves and not to live their lives according to the opinions of others. Teach them to play roles and have fun with it. Let them dress up in funny costumes and have a good laugh at themselves. Let them put on plays and act out their ideas. These things are really healthy. It's important that children play. They learn many necessary things through their play.

Children are often brought together in family patterns to sandpaper each other and to teach each other. Your job is to see that no one gets hurt and that no one exerts an overpowering type of infliction against the other. Other than that, your attitude can be that they will learn from one another.

Remember there is an innocence, openness, and trust in children that manifests as freedom. If you are going to do something in your home that you don't want the neighbors and everybody else in the world to know about, don't do it in front of your children. They probably don't know a restrictive consciousness, and they'll tell everybody just about everything. Anything you want others to know or don't care if they know, you can do in front of your child. A child communicates its love by information, by talking about the things that are close to it. And one of the things closest to a child is the father and mother and the things they do. So they'll tell the neighbors all about you. You'd better live in the way you want it reported to the world. Live what you want the kids to tell the neighbors, and you'll be in good territory.

When you teach your children to face the world and the people in it with honesty and truth, you are giving them a most valuable key for living. When you hide something, then you are not functioning in honesty, and you will not have love. When you are open, saying, "You can see everything that is going on," then there is nothing hidden. All is present. That is a very easy way to live and to teach your children to live.

When your children get older you have to earn their respect. That is something that you don't get for free just because you're a mother or father. You earn their respect. You have to continually do things in such a way that your youngsters can look up to you and say, "That's my Dad. That's my Mom. I love them. They don't lie to me. I can trust them. They tell me the truth." Then when the rest of the world is gossiping and bad-mouthing one another, your children will be able to stand up and say, "I don't have to be part of this, because I'm already a part of a group -- a group that is called family. And I don't betray my family."

This golden age is going to be an age of love; so if you can foster this child-like attitude of openness in your children toward you as parents and toward the teacher, the pastor, the policeman, and so forth, you will be creating the golden age for yourself and your kids.

Having a family and being on a spiritual path can go hand in hand. As you see and serve God in other people and in your family the two blend and become one, so that your devotion to God and your devotion to your family do not conflict. You might be experiencing the Soul communicating to you that your priorities are awareness of God, devotion to God and service to God. And as the Soul awakens and discovers itself it may be wise for you not to get caught up in the world and the negativity here. The priorities of this earth may come second, although as you serve your family you may truly be serving God and then there is no contradiction.

Your children will tend to cope with the world much the same way you do. Children learn by example. If you don't do too well, how are they going to do better? If you're really good at lifemanship, however, they're going to learn. Take your children out into the world and teach them what to do. Take them to social gatherings, churches, bowling alleys, circuses, art galleries, parades, and the theatre. Show them how to behave by demonstrating how to behave.