Hi John,

You asked for any suttas where the Buddha gave guidance on raising
children. There are a couple of suttas in which he instructs his son
Rahula (e.g. MN6! Ambalatthikarahulovada Sutta), but these are more
Buddha to Bhikkhu rather than parent to child. I think if you
looked in the subject index at Access to Insight under children -
family - parents you would find mention in a number of suttas, but
not along the lines of child psychology or solving behaviour problems.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html
The Sigalovada Sutta is well-known of course.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/digha/dn31.html
Times change and I don't think parents in the Buddha's time faced
the same things we do today - our children are absent from our care
(compulsorily) for seven or more hours a day under other authority
figures, they are bombarded by values we may not wish them to take on
board through the media, there is the strength of peer pressure, and
the absence of the educative influence and support of the extended
family. Having raised two children successfully, a son and a
daughter, to young adulthood I was relieved to find that the values
and ethics I taught them in earlly childhood and young teen years
were still there when they emerged from the mid and late
teenage 'arrogant tunnel of self-absorption'. They, of course, felt
it was I who had 'improved'. :-) I think the Precepts say it all,
and taught with love, compassion and common sense will prove a useful
tool. The major factor is parental example - it can't be 'do as I
say, not as I do'.

metta and peace,
Christine
---The trouble is that you think you have time ---

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, John Kelly <palistudent@...> wrote:
> Dear friends,
>
> Can anybody give me some sutta references where the
> Buddha gives lay people guidance on raising children?
>
> Thanks,
> John