Modeling for Young Minds

This post originally appeared on Bible.org’s Heartprints series here.

God created the mind of the young child to learn by absorbing the world around them. They also learn through all of their sensory gates simultaneously.

The words of the simple song we sing in Sunday School actually teach a profound truth:  “Oh be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down with love. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.”

A few years ago Drs. Jamie Ostrov and Douglas Gentile conducted a study that involved the effects of certain types of programming on children. They studied not only programs that contained violence and physical aggression but believe it or not, educational programs, as well.

Their findings were quite surprising. The most unexpected result of all was that some educational programming had a higher direct correlation with relational aggression in children’s behavior than violent programming had on their physical aggression.

You, like me, are probably thinking that this does not make sense. What kind of education programs and why? How?

Keep reading and we will unpack this.