The Impact Of Values of Life On Children Behavior
“Home, church and school play a major role in teaching and transmitting values to children”. This essay serves to define the term value in order to understand its vitality and further on discuss whether the three stake holders mentioned above are the core medium of transmitting values to children, or are there some others.
A house was being renovated to create space and enlarge rooms. When the renovation were almost done the house was looking brand new, but while finishing of a bedroom on the second floor one of the workers walked down the stairs to get a few materials he needed. Going down he started to feel the house sway from side to side. Surprisingly, some walls that held up the weight of the house were removed during the renovation, and without those walls the house lost its strong foundation. Therefore, any slight movement started to affect the house. This short scenario is a similar illustration of a child’s upbringing. The child is the house, the home church and school are the carpenters and the walls represent values. Without values the child will be like the house tossed from side to side by the wind, in this case negative influences of the society and peers. A popular metaphor for education in the Reformed community is the image of a triangle, a tripod, or a three-legged stool. The legs of the stool are named church, home, and school. If one of them is missing, the entire chair comes crashing down. By keeping this model in mind, we can keep three key institutions functioning properly in the community.
Values are what a person beliefs about good behavior and what things are important. Values are not something that comes up overnight it is something that is developed slowly over time. It influence the way one acts and do things in an acceptable way and enable to distinguish what is right from wrong (Cole, 1995, 111). The life values that you uphold, and live by, are what defines a person. One’s character is defined by the values that one believes in. The home supported by the school and the church are the core medium or primary agents of transmitting values to our children.
In the home, values are transmitted to children not only from the way parents act and speak, but also partially via their genes (2017). The answers are connected to the values that direct our behaviour. As they get older, parents hope they will hold similar values in their decisions ( 2017).
Parents try to instill these types of positive core values in children in an effort to give them guiding principles for living a good life. For a child their upbringing will contribute a lot to what they will value in life. Ellen White (1964) says that parents should be first teachers of their children. Furthermore, she adds that a child should be prepared to fight the battles against evil before birth. It is clear that a mother or parents will have begun transmitting values while the child is still in the mother’s womb whether negative or positive the child will already be learning. When teaching children at an early age we cannot sit them down and tell them, learn to always tell the truth or always respect the elders. It will not sink in (Marica, 1980).
At an early age children have their own learning mechanisms (Erikson, 1968). Children will observe and absorb. Values displayed in the homes will be picked up by the child and stored in their built in templates (Marica, 1980). Parents must teach their children to be kind, patient and to be thoughtful of others (white, 1964). To protect children from negative influences parents should teach their children in the principles of purity (white, 1964). If the child has the habits of these values obedience and self – control White (1964) determines that children will have little difficulty in school life and the child will overcome negative influences that they might face. If the child was taught well, when the child is presented with an unfamiliar situation the child’s built in templates will project the value that is appropriate to the situation they are faced with.
There is also a danger when the child absorbs everything from home because there is no filtering mechanism to allow only the good values to be stored by the child.
The home plays a very important role in a child’s life. The life of the child is a true reflection of the values they portray at home and children don’t lie (reference). If wrong values are transmitted at home the child will project wrong values.
In the traditional set up, home is where everything begins or in the iTaukei language “noqu yavu-tu” my foundation. No iTaukei child is complete without understanding and relating to their foundation which is the home.
In the police language they say, “Safety and security begins at home” (reference). The police juvenile bureau unit believes for a child to be a law abiding citizen, the platform is the home. Lawlessness begins when the child is disconnected from home. This is where the support of the school and the church comes. The child will be corrected in school and strong values from the church will uphold the child.
Therefore it is very critical parents be aware of the actions, the words being spoken every day and to always portray positive values at home. So the home is where the first transmission will begin. Therefore, the home is where the child should be first taught the core values of life.
In school, values are transmitted by the teachers. In every school in Fiji there is a moral value theme introduced in the classrooms every week (reference). Altogether there are 41 moral value themes taught to the children in the academic year. It is the teacher’s responsibility to effectively teach and portray these values in the classrooms every day. When a child begins school, it will be the teacher that spends more time with the child now. Therefore it is very important for a teacher to have these values instilled in them. White (1964) says that there are only two educators in this world. One teaches the example of God, and the other leads his class to be agents of evil.
From the biblical perspective, most moral values are the fruits of the Holy Spirit (text). A teacher cannot be a true educator until he or she receives education from the divine educator (White, 1964). A teacher will only successfully transmit good values if he or she is founded holistically. A teacher should be kind, patient, and merciful and show love to the children. This attitude will influence the children to want to possess such values, because it makes them feel happy and loved. Some teachers teach these values just because it is part of the curriculum, not knowing the effects it will have on the children. Hence, the teachers that teach these values with passion will see the positive outcomes in the children.
Children at this age can be taught to create a filtering system on whether to take things in or ignore the information (reference). An effective teacher will demonstrate and teach the ways of ignoring and blocking out information that will affect the children’s development of character. Yet, if the skill is not taught, it will be transmitted through the teacher. For example, showing a positive and loving attitude towards a child, that has consistent behavioral issues, dealing with the matter patiently.
Teachers often build a close relationship with students, and the students start to portray what teachers do. Through this positive relationship teachers must be aware that every actions and behavior the teacher does will have an effect in the students. Therefore it is vital that teachers portray a positive and loving attitude towards the students every day.
The church is where values are the core teachings (2016). Children are taught the law of recognition, to recognize what is a good value and what is a bad value through bible parables, Sabbath school lessons and sermons from the church pastor (reference).
Apart from the primary mediums mentioned, there are other mediums that transmit value namely media and peers (reference). Peer and media contribute too we have no control of it. Children will see it on TV, they will hear on the radio, magazine, internet and social media when the opportunity is there. Children of working parent will spend more time with their peers than parents. What they can pick up from their peers will contribute to the values the child has been taught whether to contradict it or support it. If the child is rooted firm on the teachings from home, church and school the child will overcome any obstacles faced in any compromising situation.
Our thoughts become our character.
Children become what they are by what they think.
Apart from the home, the church and the school, there are many other mediums that transmit value but they are all connected to the three stakeholders mentioned.
Reference
- Cole, G. A,. 1995. Organisational Behaviour: Theory and Practice. London: pp, 111 Continuum, Thomson Learning.
- www.yourdictionary.com
- parents and learning by Sam Redding 2000
- Farrel, A. D., & White, K. S. (1998). Peer influence and drug use among urban adolescents: Family structure and parent-adolescent relationship as protective factors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(2), 248-258.
- Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity, youth, and crisis. New York: W. W. Norton.
- Marcia, J. E. (1980). Identity in adolescence. In J. Adelson (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 159-187). New York: Wiley.
- Jiménez, O. (2009). The relationship between parental influence and Christian spiritual practices among Adventist youth in Puerto Rico (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI.
- Transmitting Values | InspiringInfluence.com
- trendingprof47.wordpress.com
