Walk Well Life's 7 Steps - The Most Exquisite Life Planning Book

Author: Covey
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Educating children must seize the critical period In China, there is a well-known saying, "Judge a child at three, and you will know him at seven." Whether a child's future life can be successful, their psychological state and character are already determined by the age of three or five. The ancient method of taming famous orioles perfectly illustrates this principle. It is said that wild young orioles, when very young, are caught by the tamer and trained meticulously. Usually, a famous oriole is placed beside these wild orioles, whose calls are exceptionally beautiful. The tamer does this to ensure that the young orioles hear the famous orioles' calls every day, enabling the wild orioles to also produce beautiful sounds. The method of taming famous orioles teaches us that whether it is young children or young orioles, if they are given good education and trained to develop good habits during their early years, they will deeply remember these things and never forget them throughout their lives. From educational theories across ancient and modern times, we can see that sages have always emphasized the importance of forming habits from a young age. This is because childhood is the critical period for habit formation. When children are young, they are like molten iron that can be molded into various shapes. Once they grow older, the molten iron cools and changes become difficult. Children are highly malleable when young, more obedient, and easier to train, making it easier to develop good habits. Therefore, a crucial part of education is to seize the critical period for habit formation and cultivate various good habits in children. If this period is nurtured well, they can naturally become excellent members of society later on. If not, it will be much harder to correct things later. Research shows that early childhood (3-6 years old), childhood (7-12 years old), and adolescence (13-16 or 17 years old) are all important periods for forming behavior habits, with early childhood and childhood being particularly critical. Modern psychological research has identified the critical periods for the development of certain specific qualities and abilities in humans. For example, 3-5 years old is the critical period for language development in children, as well as for the development of musical talent; 3-7 years old is the critical period for the development of motor thinking in children; and 12-15 years old is the critical period for the development of logical thinking in children, and so on. Therefore, in the process of cultivating children's habits, we should adapt to these laws and characteristics of children's physical and mental development, focusing on education and training during the critical periods for their quality and ability development to help them form corresponding good habits and lay a foundation for their lifelong development. During a person's adolescence, since their physical and mental development has not yet stabilized and they are highly malleable, this period is the best time to correct bad habits, or even the critical period. Therefore, the critical period for cultivating good habits is also the best time for correcting bad habits. Good behavior habits should be cultivated from a young age, and every day of a child's growth is a good opportunity for habit formation. As the child educator Chen Heqin pointed out, "When educating a person, attention must be paid from a young age—how to speak, how to criticize, attitudes toward others, etiquette, and everything else."