What Are You Teaching Them?

Children are all born innocent.

They do not come with any in-built values, cultural inclinations or morality.

All of them learn these values from the people closest to them - their parents, relatives, neighbours, play-mates, friends and enemies.

They learn the good and the bad through being exposed to the various media outlets, from TV, movies to songs and the various 'celebrities'.

They are like sponges - they just absorb what they see.

If they see their parents do certain things, they will just imitate them, as they do not know better what is acceptable; what is right or wrong.

Therefore, if a child grows up in a dysfunctional family, it is highly likely that he will be similarly dysfunctional.

If she grows up with a neurotic mother, it is likely she too will also be neurotic and sick in her mind.

Sigmund Freud said it very succinctly : -

"If you want to know the child, just look at the mother."

What Freud said is very true.

In my experience, if I want to know how a child behave, I just have to look at the mother. Often times, it is the mother who profoundly influences the child. If the mother is well-adjusted and happy, the child will also grow up to be like her. And vice-versa.

Therefore, it is very important to be self-aware of yourself and your actions when you are around a child.

You can bet that he/she is observing you and registering how you behave and react to the situation at hand.

That is where the young children learn how to hate, learn how to be insensitive and learn how to uncaring.

The flip side is that, under the proper guidance, a young child can also learn to care, to love and to be a good person...

"If the causes we create arise from wisdom,
So then will be the results.
If the causes we create arise from ignorance,
So, then will be the results."

- Heart of a Buddha