About The Authors

In their quiet revolution, the Ezzos bestowed to the world a precious gift—a way of parenting steeped in the conviction that love is the most potent force, virtuous intentions are the most authentic guides, and each step taken on this sacred journey is a cherished part of our shared humanity.

Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo understand the delicate fabric of parenting and the modern challenges families face today. This pioneering team has touched the lives of countless mothers, fathers, educators, and health professionals through their best-selling books and weekend seminars. With Gary’s Master of Arts from Biola University and Anne Marie’s background as a retired Registered Nurse, their story is as uplifting as it is extraordinary.

Their journey did not begin with a grand plan or a specific social calling, yet a quiet revolution in parenting education was brewing long before anyone realized its significance. This is their story.

Divine appointment? A serendipious moment? We’ve all encountered those defining events that shift the course of our lives—a chance reunion, a flight that never took off, or an unexpected meeting on a walking trail. For Gary and Anne Marie, such a moment arrived in 1984 when they agreed to meet a young couple with a three-month-old and a list of parenting questions. Week after week, they gathered—not as authorities or experts, but as couples navigating the intricate dance of parenthood.

What began as shared advice became a flood of ideas, each catching fire in the hearts of those who listened. One couple soon led to twelve. The excitement and enthusiasm of the twelve attracted eighty more couples, whose equal enthusiasm inspired hundreds, followed by thousands and tens of thousands of couples who became part of the unfolding story. From those modest gatherings in small rooms, their wisdom spread like seeds carried by the wind, taking root in the fertile soil.

Within five years, a transformative movement had swept across continents, crossing oceans and borders, spreading into sixty-five countries; their message translated into twenty-eight languages, bringing hope to millions of families.

Gary and Anne Marie did not merely create a manual or hold a series of seminars; they sparked a movement rooted in a deep understanding that each child is a universe waiting to unfold, and every parent is the gentle hand guiding that process.

Their guiding principle, begin as you mean to go, became a noble banner, a steadfast guide for parents. It was a sentiment woven with intention and purpose, reminding parents to stand resolutely on the path toward their hopes and dreams. In their realm of ideas, mothers and fathers walked with newfound confidence, feeling seen and empowered. At the same time, children basked in a nurturing and purposeful love, safe in the knowledge that they are cherished and understood.

What Is Their Parenting Philosophy?

Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo’s parenting philosophy unfolds like a well-tended garden. Structured routines and clear boundaries provide a sturdy framework, allowing children to flourish in an atmosphere of love and security. Their influence resonates widely, offering a framework for nurturing the next generation with purpose and care. They advocate for intentional parenting—an approach that promotes a child’s character and celebrates each little soul's individuality.

Though the Ezzos embarked on their journey initially rooted in the Faith community, their teachings resonated far beyond that persuasion, drawing in parents of many convictions—those devout and those without a creed. Religious or non-religious, a global community of parents came to appreciate the worth of raising virtuous children, nurturing well-adjusted souls, and cultivating joyful, healthy families. For these parents, the Ezzos had the blueprint. It was their “all-are-welcome” approach, an open-hearted embrace, that made their story not just remarkable but profoundly human.

Precept One: At the heart of their teachings lies the belief that a strong marital bond is the bedrock of effective parenting. In the eyes of a child, the world is measured not by reason but by the warmth and stability that parents exude. The more love and respect parents show each other, the more confidence their children will glean, feeling enveloped in a secure and nurturing environment. This foundational love must never allow a father to stand on the sidelines; it is essential that both parents actively participate in the child-rearing journey.

Precept Two: The Ezzos stress that parents must be the guides, not mere friends. Children enter this world without the wisdom that comes with age and experience. Parents bear the weight of teaching their little ones the distinctions between right and wrong, safety and danger, wisdom and folly. While friendship with children is a worthy goal, a mother and father's unwavering love and guidance provide the essential framework in those formative years. Therefore, viewing parenting as a peer relationship is both unwise and unfruitful. Friendship with your child is not the starting point of your parenting but the relational goal, the very outcome you seek to achieve.

Precept Three: Creating a nurturing “Life-giving home environment,” the Ezzos explains, requires an embrace of the “Culture of Life,” where virtue and encouragement take precedence over the bleak “Culture of Death.” This is more than a moral necessity in the Ezzo legacy of thought—it is a significant contributor to the healthy development of the neuro-biological infrastructure of parental affection. The language and tones spoken within the home should uplift, celebrating virtue and beauty while shunning words that belittle, berate, shame, insult, humiliate, threaten, or attack the dignity of a child (or any person.) The latter is toxic to a child’s developing brain. The long-range parenting implications of speaking life to children or speaking death establish a life-long neurologic “mood imprint” that children will either thrive under or be burdened with.

Precept Four: Moral training and character development are also cornerstones of the Ezzos’ philosophy. They believe that parents must be the primary architects of their children’s moral compass, instilling values of respect, responsibility, and accountability from a tender age. Through consistent routines and clear boundaries, children learn self-control and independence, gradually transforming into self-reliant adults who can confidently navigate their relational world.

Precept Five: The Ezzos strongly advocate letting children be children as long as they can, for they only get one childhood. Childhood, after all, is a singular treasure—a time brimming with wonder, adventures waiting to unfold, and the delightful discovery of the world around them. This is a time of innocence, and protecting a child’s innocence should be a priority concern for parents, for it is a child’s innocence that makes childhood so precious.

Precept Six: Furthermore, the Ezzos recognize the significance of socialization, asserting that parents should guide their children in learning to interact with others with kindness and empathy. In a harsh and unforgiving world, the lessons taught at home will echo through a child’s interactions beyond its walls.

The Ezzo’s, if anything, stand firm as stewards of a practical truth that doesn’t sway in the wind. They call out to parents to turn their backs on the flash and dazzle of passing trends, to hold fast, and to look instead to the fruits borne by those who have already trod the well-worn path. When parents spot those good, solid outcomes they’re yearning for, the Ezzo’s encourage them to step onto that path and make it their own, step by steady step. Emmanuel Kant once said that what’s real proves what’s possible, and the Ezzos reckon he was right. A family bound by care and love is more than a household; it’s a clear-glass view of what the world can hold.