Before you do that, you have to control yourself, and bring yourself to the right path. You have to be an example for your children. It is only through example and practical experience that you can instruct your children to develop their potential and creative nature. Preaching without practicing is no good. Merely teaching a child all about morality, telling him not to do something while continuing to do it yourself, will not help him improve. Children are very observant, they are very pliable and you can mould them into any shape. The first thing to do in order to improve the quality of the child’s consciousness and awareness is to let him express himself freely. Even if he comes to abuse you, let him. If you cannot let him abuse you, you are suppressing his nature. If you allow his mind to flourish by giving him the freedom of expression, whether verbal, moral, physical or intellectual, he will grow up to be a very intelligent and creative person.
Many children come to the Munger ashram. They stay here for one to five years. Then they go back home, and when they return they decide to stay on and become sannyasins. At the ashram children have complete freedom of expression. They can do anything; they can abuse you and you cannot say anything to them. They can be very gentle, like angels, and they can be very naughty, like Dennis the Menace.
Freedom of expression is important and must to be accompanied by proper samskaras. Proper samskaras are learnt through the practice of asana and pranayama, gradually leading to the different practices and principles of yoga so that the children are able to build a very solid foundation for their future. If they begin to practice yoga from a very early age you will find that in their later lives, they will not face the same type of tension and frustration that you face. Even if they do, they will be equipped to handle those situations which you are not able to handle yourself because you have never been given the basic training. If you want to bring your child to the right path, give him this basic yoga training which will enable him to cope with all eventualities.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, On the wings of the SWAN I