Locke's educational thought holds that the power of parents to educate their children comes from their obligation to raise their children, and parents have the obligation to discipline their children at an early age. Furthermore, Locke believes that parental authority is also a kind of instrumental power: "What children need, what parents should do is to cultivate their minds and manage their behavior when they are still ignorant minors, until reason takes their place and relieves their suffering."

Locke re-emphasized the authority of parents when educating children, because Locke potentially admitted that children are also an individual full of various desires and irrational. Without the authority of parents as a tool of restraint and education, children cannot grow into rational and qualified citizens in a free society and can abide by the laws of nature.

Locke does not think that the authority of parents is unlimited.

He believes that parents' power is also an instrumental power, not a purposeful power, which aims to cultivate children's rationality and virtue, and has no other purpose. Locke thinks in Under the Government: "But what is the reason to expand this responsibility of parents to their children into an absolute and arbitrary power of fathers?"

His power can only take the most effective way of discipline, and respect, salute, gratitude and help are one thing; Demanding absolute obedience and submission is another matter. "That is to say, the affection between family members is affection and reason; Parents have the right to educate their children, but this cannot be a reason for parents to ask their children to obey absolutely.