Train the lambs by grazing. دَرِّبِ البَهْمَ بالرَّمِّ.

دَرِّبِ البَهْمَ بالرَّمِّ.
أي عَوِّدها الرَّعْيَ تدرب به. يضرب في تأديب الرجل ولدهُ.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Train the lambs by grazing.
That is, accustom them to grazing; train them by it. This proverb is used to describe a man disciplining his son.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
المثل العربي «دَرِّبِ البَهْمَ بالرَّمِّ» (أي عوِّد صغار الغنم على الرعي وهي صغيرة) يُضرب في تأديب الولد وتعليمه منذ الصغر، لأن العادات تُكتسب بالتدريب المبكر.
ومن أقرب الأمثال الإنجليزية:
As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.
(كما يُثنى الغصن الصغير، تنمو الشجرة.)
وهو أشهر مقابل معنوي، ويعني أن تربية الطفل في صغره تحدد ما سيكون عليه في كبره.
ومن الأمثال القريبة أيضاً:
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
(ربِّ الطفل على الطريق الذي ينبغي أن يسلكه، فإذا شاخ لا يحيد عنه.)
أو:
Strike while the iron is hot.
(اغتنم الفرصة المناسبة للتأثير والتشكيل.)
لكن إذا كان المقصود التربية والتعويد منذ الصغر، فإن أقرب مقابل هو:
As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Arabic proverb “Train the lambs by grazing” (meaning accustom young sheep to grazing) is used to describe disciplining and teaching children from a young age, as habits are acquired through early training.
A similar English proverb is:
“As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.”
This is a well-known metaphorical equivalent, meaning that how a child is raised in their youth determines who they will become in adulthood.
Another related proverb is:
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Or:
“Strike while the iron is hot.”
But if the intention is to emphasize upbringing and conditioning from a young age, the closest equivalent is:
“As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.”