Claim. Parents can only teach what they themselves first practice; tradition cannot be transmitted by schools, and children who see their parents neglect church responsibilities while demanding principled behaviour will quietly sneer at the entire instruction.
Elaboration. SMM grounds the practice-before-teaching rule in observation: “In order to educate children, parents should first practice accordingly. The parents should be a model of loyalty to God’s will… When children see that their parents neglect church responsibilities and do not live according to headquarters’ directions, while at the same time expecting their children to live in a principled way, then they will surely sneer at their parents” (6.1. Parents are to teach their children heavenly law, 31-268, 1970.6.4). The schools-can’t-do-it claim is explicit: “People were originally made to be educated by their parents; they are not to receive education just from school. Especially, education in order to inherit the tradition cannot be taught in school” (ibid, 111-256, 1981.2.22). The parental model bequeathed is True Father’s own: “I teach you about what I have first practiced and established as a victorious foundation” (ibid, 23-322, 1969.6.8). Praying for children must follow from the parent’s own standard: “you should do so asking God to let your children follow what you do. You should first become the standard; then your children can reach such a position” (ibid, 13-103, 1963.11.1). Children’s resemblance follows automatically — they “resemble their parents” because that is what families do (ibid, 24-133, 1969.7.20). Authority in the family is therefore derived from practice, not from office.