articlesforchristians

Children Learn What They Live
By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Copyright © 1972 by Dorothy Law Nolte

This is a great poem with lots of truth to it. Children learn based on what they see and hear. Children learn by doing and they often copy what they see and hear the adults and other children around them do. It is important to be careful what you say and do around children because they are always watching. It is important how you treat children and others because children learn how to treat others by watching you. Many of the problems that our society has today was create yesterday by how the adults behaved around the children. In order to create a better tomorrow, we must start today by correcting our behavior today.

Children are not born knowing how to act, talk, or walk. They learn by watching the adults and other children around them. So, the next time the child in your care misbehaves, go look in a mirror and see what you are doing and check on what any children around them are doing. Yes, they need to be corrected, but it is possible that your actions or the actions of others need correcting as well. Remember the old adage, Birds of a feather flock together. The people that children are around will cause them to start behaving just like them. Now stop and think about what kind of person you want children to become when they grow up. What kind of world do we want the future to be? Do you like the way the world seems to be going? The future is literally in your hands today. Correct your behavior today for a better tomorrow.