Parenting classes should be mandatory, whether you are adopting

The words of Dale Archer—“Parenting classes should be mandatory, whether you are adopting or not, and would include an evaluation of your current physical, mental and financial state as well as how ready you are to take on the rigors of parenthood. Our children are our most precious natural resource, and there is absolutely no other way to parent but to put them first.”—resound with the weight of both urgency and truth. They call us to recognize that parenthood is not merely a private matter, but a sacred duty that shapes the very destiny of a people. Archer reminds us that raising children is not only an act of love but also a discipline, one requiring preparation, strength, and sacrifice.

The ancients understood this principle long before modern words were spoken. In Sparta, parents did not raise children for themselves alone but for the strength of the state, and every child was considered a treasure of the community. In Rome, laws governed family conduct, for the future of the Republic depended on the character of its citizens. And in every great civilization, it was understood that the fate of the nation rested not in its wealth of gold, but in the virtue and wisdom of its children. Archer’s call for readiness and preparation echoes this ancient wisdom: that children are the foundation of all human flourishing.

His insistence that children are our most precious natural resource should not be taken lightly. Empires have risen and fallen not because of lack of money, but because they neglected to cultivate the next generation. Consider the decline of Athens, when selfish ambition and corruption replaced the teaching of virtue, leaving its youth unprepared for responsibility. By contrast, the revival of nations has always begun with renewed care for the young—through education, through moral training, through the example of parents who lived not for themselves but for their posterity. Archer’s words remind us that the strength of tomorrow rests in the arms of today’s parents.

He also speaks of preparation—of the rigors of parenthood. This is no casual labor, but a calling that demands the whole of one’s body, mind, and spirit. Too often, people enter into it lightly, unprepared for the sacrifices it will demand. Yet the child does not wait for the parent to be ready—the child arrives, and from that moment requires all. Archer’s vision of classes and evaluations is not about restriction, but about reverence: to honor the task of parenthood by preparing for it with the seriousness we would give to any great duty. For no soldier marches without training, no builder raises a temple without plans, and no sailor sails without learning the sea. Should we then raise children without preparation?

History itself offers cautionary tales. Monarchs who neglected their children often left kingdoms in chaos, as heirs unprepared for rule squandered their inheritance. Consider the sons of King Henry II of England, whose quarrels and betrayals plunged the land into war, for they had been raised with indulgence but not discipline. In contrast, Marcus Aurelius, shaped by wise tutors and loving guidance, became known as the philosopher-king, a ruler whose strength lay in the teaching he received from childhood. Here we see Archer’s truth: the way children are raised determines not only their lives, but the fate of nations.

The meaning of Archer’s command to “put children first” is not sentiment but necessity. It means setting aside selfish ambition, tempering pride, and sacrificing ease for the sake of the next generation. It means building homes where children are not neglected shadows but honored treasures. To put them first is to see in them not only our joy, but our legacy; not only our responsibility, but our hope. It is to recognize that in every child lies the seed of the future, and that seed must be tended with care.

The lesson for us is this: prepare for parenthood as one prepares for the greatest of journeys. Do not enter lightly, nor believe love alone is enough. Cultivate strength of body, patience of mind, and generosity of spirit. Place the well-being of your children above your fleeting desires. Teach them by word and by example, knowing that they will carry forward what you leave behind. And remember always that to raise a child is not merely to care for your own blood, but to shape the destiny of humanity itself.

Thus, Dale Archer’s words endure as a clarion call: parenthood is not casual, but sacred. It requires preparation, sacrifice, and the unwavering choice to place children first. Let future generations remember this truth: that the wealth of a nation is not counted in its silver, nor its armies, nor its lands, but in the hearts and minds of the children it raises. To honor them, to prepare for them, to put them first—this is the highest duty of all.