Dear Editor,

Research has shown that learning for children begins from conception. This insinuates that children possess the ability to make sense of their environments mainly through auditory means from the womb.

This amazing fact should stir the need for parents and caregivers to be intentional about the kind of environments that we create for our children because they are like sponges and they absorb what they see and hear around them — both good and bad.

In light of this, it is the caregivers responsibility to train them well. We should ensure that we are in right moral standing so that this training can be effective. The adage “Children live what they learn” holds true. It is, therefore, our responsibility to teach them the right things: good manners, social etiquette, and godly principles. Children should be taught the virtues of patience, honesty, empathy, and self-respect. Read books to them from they are in the womb, watch and listen to positive things, and be mindful of what you speak into and over their lives.

There are times when caregivers give the notion that children are too young to serve God or try to compensate for their bad behaviour by saying they are merely children. They are, but this is when we curb wrong behaviour. It is at this stage of development that habits are formed and so we have to be both vigilant and intentional.

We are expected to both guide and correct. In my interaction with children, I listen to how well they are able to articulate and express their views on certain matters of interest. It is, therefore, undeniable that if these children are steered in the right direction from now, they will be forces to be reckoned with in the future.

The family is the bedrock of society; therefore, it is imperative that the family plays its role in raising godly and morally sound citizens. There might be the argument that some caregivers grew up in dysfunctional families, but this is when they have an opportunity to change the narrative. Not because one comes from a dysfunctional family means that a dysfunctional family should come from him or her. Let us break the cycle by returning to biblical principles, reviving the “it takes a village to raise a child” initiative and resolving to be the best caregiver there is through working on ourselves, attending workshops to garner training and insight, reading books, and attending seminars.

In the Jewish culture, Christian education starts prior to birth and the children grow up and pass on the legacy. This is why the
Bible admonishes parents to teach children about God and His word and train them in the right way. If this is done, the tremendous blessings and benefits would be manifold.

Shauna-Kay Douglas

Pastor, educator, author

douglasshauna91@yahoo.com