What Is a Child?

Children are people between birth and the onset of puberty, usually during the teenage years. A child’s life is filled with many physical and emotional changes, and can be a time of intense learning and growth. They need a foundation of love, care and security to thrive. In addition, they need the character traits of honesty, generosity, decency and tenacity to deal with challenges.

Children learn from what adults do and say. They pick up on the tone of your voice and facial expressions, and listen to the words you speak. Babies will imitate your mood, and will often learn how to be happy or sad by watching their parents. They also copy what they see on TV and in movies. If they hear their parents shouting or fighting, they will assume that this is how people behave.

They have the right to grow up without being exposed to harmful drugs, and the right to use their language, religion or culture – even if these are not shared by most people in their country. They also have the right to a good education, healthy food and enough rest and play. They should be protected from work that is dangerous, and from having to go to war. If they have to work, they should be paid a fair price and treated with respect.

When you have children, spend lots of high-touch personal interactions with them every day. It’s best to do this in ways that they enjoy, such as playing games, making up stories or spotting a bird at the park. This will help them develop strong social-emotional skills and build a deep-seated connection with you that helps them to feel loved, safe and secure.

By the age of 4, children can understand when they’ve hurt another child and are empathetic to other’s injuries. They can also begin to share and take turns. However, children can still easily become aggressive or cruel. This is why it’s important to teach them how to solve conflicts peacefully.

As children get older, you can help them develop the habits of caring for others by teaching them about the world around them. This includes being respectful of their neighbors, teachers and adults in general. In addition, they can learn about the environment by reading books and visiting parks.

A Christian definition of a child involves God’s role in their lives. Christians believe that children are physical, moral, spiritual, cognitive and emotional beings, made in the image of God (Genesis 1:28). They are part of God’s creation, and He gifts them to parents for their nurture, protection and guidance (Deuteronomy 5:29, Psalm 139:13-14). Parents and churches must also consider their children’s cultural context when caring for them. This includes guiding them to develop identities, beliefs, morals and customs that are consistent with the biblical values of love, compassion, forgiveness and justice. This is called Biblical Parenting. The Bible teaches that the most important thing you can do for your children is to love them (Deuteronomy 6:5, Ephesians 4:32). God wants us to be loving parents, and we must obey His commandments.