How important, then, to begin molding your child from birth onward.​—Eccl. 12:13; Jer. 7:23.

7. (a) As to personality development, what do researchers say? (b) What indicates that many mothers do not appreciate this?

⁷ Corroborating this is an article in Science Digest of March 1969. According to Dr. Marvin Ack, studies indicate that the “major portion of the individual’s personality is established before the onset of school. It is, of course, common knowledge that preschool children are extremely impressionable and malleable.” “However,” he says, “we have discovered that what they have encountered in their childhood in terms of attitudes and experiences often establishes lasting, and sometimes immutable, behavioral patterns.” Does this mean that after five years of age such patterns cannot be changed? “No,” says another researcher. “The child remains quite malleable during his first seven years, but the longer you wait, the more radically you need to change his environment​—and the probability of change becomes a little less with each successive year.” Not all parents appreciate this fact. In the United States alone some four million preschool-age children have mothers that work outside the home. Perhaps some mothers are forced to do this. But many evidently assume that there is little they could teach their children during those early years anyway. What a tragic error!

But Christian fathers will not leave the instruction of their children solely to their wives. If they do they will pay for it in decreased respect on the part of their children. The apostle’s counsel at Ephesians 6:4 says: “And you, fathers, do not be irritating your children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah.” One way to irritate a child is to deny it the attention children naturally crave, on which they thrive from babyhood on. Is it not true that, if you show some interest in a baby, soon that little mouth opens up in a wide grin (perhaps with a solitary tooth showing), while some simple act of attention from its father or mother can produce chuckles or chortles of glee? Older children, too, hunger for their parents’ interest in them. They may even misbehave as a means of getting it. Yes, one of the finest gifts you parents can give your children of any age is some of your time, your personal attention and interest. Just telling them or reproving them is not enough; such discipline by itself can bring irritation. The child wants and needs you to sit down with him, take the time to explain the ‘whys’ and ‘wherefores,’ not just the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts.’ See that they get that help, because it is the loving thing to do.