It would be wonderful if someone could tell you exactly what to do in every situation and how to do it. How do we absorb, synthesize, and organize all the parenting strategies out there? All the research? All the advice?

There is no Rosetta Stone for parenting, as you quickly realized. There’s no one thing that unlocks it all. But funny enough, the Stoics do provide us with something equally ancient that can serve us as parents, that can guide us in most every situation.

These are the Cardinal Virtues, which Zeno laid down in the 3rd Century B.C. as:

Courage.
Discipline. 
Justice. 
Wisdom.

Like the cardinal points on a compass—named in a nod to the virtues—these ideals guide us. They guide us through the sleepless nights. They guide us during the arguments. They guide us through the uncomfortable conversations. When our temper is tested, when our values and ethics are tested. When we have to make big decisions. When it doesn’t go according to plan.

We need these virtues and we need to teach these virtues to our children. Their life—and the future—hinges on it. So memorize these four virtues. Act on them. Live them. Parent by them. And keep them close to your heart always.

P.S. The Four Virtues are yours already, if only you develop them. As Marcus Aurelius urged, “be a boxer, not a fencer”—because the fencer has a weapon they must pick up, but a boxer’s weapons, his fists, are already a part of him.

The Stoic Virtues Series Box Set is now available (signed copies exclusively through the Daily Stoic Store), and includes each of the four bestselling books on the individual virtues—Courage Is Calling, Discipline Is Destiny, Right Thing, Right Now, and Wisdom Takes Work. Together, they’re a comprehensive and accessible guide to living these timeless ideals.

Get your signed Stoic Virtues Series Box Set.