You wouldn’t think of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius as a parenting book.

But as Brand Blandshard would observe in 1984,

“Few care now about the marches and countermarches of the Roman commanders. What the centuries have clung to is a notebook of thoughts by a man, whose real life was largely unknown, who put down in the midnight dimness not the events of the day or the plans of the morrow, but something of far more permanent interest, the ideals and aspirations that a rare spirit lived by.”

Isn’t that what we are trying to instill in our children? Isn’t that what we want our kids to take and apply throughout their lives? The ideals and aspirations from such a rare spirit?

The opening pages of Meditations reveal that spirit quite well, for Meditations begins with a section entitled “Debts and Lessons.” Across seventeen entries and some 2,100 words (a full 10% of the book), Marcus takes the time to acknowledge and codify the lessons he had learned from the important people in his life. From his grandfather, he learned to be courteous. From his father, how to be manly without ostentation. From his tutor, a positive work ethic. “The whole concept of writing the Meditations,” said Donald Robertson, Marcus’ greatest biographer, when he came on the Daily Stoic Podcast, “is about following through on this thing he remembers his mother saying when he was younger—which is to work on his character, to improve his mind and not just his external behavior.”

Is this not the example we want to set for our children? To be kind to others, to be disciplined in their pursuits? To be of sound mind and good character?

This is precisely why Meditations is a parenting book—one of the greatest ever written. Because at its core, it’s about the transmission of wisdom and values from one generation to the next.

And isn’t that what parenting is all about?

Over at Daily Stoic we’re celebrating Marcus Aurelius and his Meditations all month long—by showing you how to live out those ideals and aspirations of that rare spirit.

That’s right, April is Meditations Month at Daily Stoic, in honor of Marcus’ 1905th birthday.

We’ve created everything you need to dive deeper into this timeless book, exploring its lessons not just for leadership and personal growth, but for the vital task of raising the next generation:

• How To Read Meditations Guide—a step-by-step companion to help you understand and apply Marcus’s wisdom
• Live Q&A with Ryan Holiday (April 26th)—free to anyone who purchases our Meditations Guide before April 26th
• Premium leatherbound edition of Meditations—beautifully crafted to last a lifetime
• Bundle & Save 20%—get the guide + the book and save 20% for this month only!

Head here to learn all about Meditations Month and buy your book, bundle, or guide today!