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PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN

Pastor Amos Owoseni 

Both the parents and the children workers in the Church are in a divine program of helping to shapen young lives . This makes it imperative for these leaders to understand how the personalities of children develop. The scripture makes it very evident that our Lord is concerned about each person as an individual, Unique from any other individual, their personalities and characteristics - if he is to tailor his ‘teaching and counseling to their personal needs.

Authorities differ in their theories and definitions of Personality. To the Sociologist, Personality is the expression of one’s physiological and constitutional makings. The Psychologist on the other hand emphasizes the behavioral aspects of personality.

Personality refers to those combined characteristics which makes a person unique and different from all other individual. This includes not only his spiritual characteristics but also his physical emotional, and social attributes, and congenital and mental influences.

Though some authors believe that personality development birth, others point out that some characteristics tend to

be inherited and that prenatal conditions may affect one’s development 1ater. According to this view, personality development the time of conception.

The development of a child’s personality cannot be isolated from the influence of environmental, social, hereditary, and motivational factors. Each teacher has the responsibility and challenge to administer primarily to the Spiritual needs of each. This can be done only in proportion of the facts known about each child, and the love and understanding of the teachers as he prays for spiritua1 wisdom in meeting evident needs. Needs are determinants of behavior. The sensitive teacher soon becomes keenly aware of deeper needs, perhaps unrecognized by parents of children.

Occasionally visits to the pupils’ homes provide insights gained in no other way. The wise teacher considers each child an individual case study, unique and challenging. Teachers should also be aware of children’s Universal needs which the Church can help to meet These include love, security, sense of belonging, significance to immediate environment recognition, and inter-related influences. In the Church educational program, teachers can express and exhibit God’s love to the child. In Christ, the child can find security.

In the fellowship of the Church, he can find a sense of belonging. In pleasing Jesus and in serving others, he can give love and find self-esteem and recognition. If a child’s spiritual needs are being met, mainly other needs and aspects of his life will be cured for automatically. Learning in the Church must be supernaturally motivate, as all workers pray for the children with whom they work.

The loca1 Church is in the best position to provide opportunity to reach children with the gospel, and thereby to initiate Christian influences affecting the continuing process of personality development. Psalm 32:8; Colossians 3:16, and many other scriptures concerned with teaching the word of God gives ample incentive to keep this concern uppermost in educationa1 programming.

INFLUENCES ON PERSONALITY

Most child psychologists agree that the following factors influence the development of children’s personalities Hereditary Factors. A number of inherited traits definitely influence, personality. The most obvious among them all are certain physical resemblance to parents or relatives, such as color of eyes, hair complexion, and one’s size many scientists, feel that certain physical conditions related to health are also transmitted genetically. Some children will acquire their inherited traits without concern or desire to change them.

Other children will resent the fact that they resemble their parents, brothers, sisters, or other relatives. Teachers and counselors in the Church should be well aware of these concerns and attitudes of children. Prayer is needed

for each child, and it would be well to pray with him that accept as from God those characteristics which he had inherited. Counselors may also work with parents in helping them instill a Christian attitude in children regarding their inherited characteristics.

Thus, inherited characteristics affect the child’s self-conception and the continued development of his personality.

Cooperation is needed by parents and relatives in order to help instill a healthy attitude in children toward their hereditary traits, either desirable or undesirable.

To be Continued

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