www.bible.com/111/pro.22.6.niv
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.-Proverbs 22:6
Your values, your morals, and your ethics are all largely formed during your childhood. This brings up the oldest and toughest question when dealing with child development, nature vs nurture. The nature argument says that the environment plays a large role in the development of a child’s values, morals and ethics. Those who believe in this theory will argue that those children born and raised in less fortunate circumstances are more likely to not development “good” values, morals and ethics. The flip side of this is the nurture theory. This theory says that it is not the environment itself that plays a part in child development, but that is the parents and a select few others who play a role a child development. This theory is exactly what Solomon is saying in today’s verse from Proverbs. It is not whether or not a child lives in an less than perfect environment, but rather it is what that child is taught by his or her parents that is important. A child raised in Godly home where Godly values are taught, regardless of the circumstances, is more likely to development Godly values than a child who is not raised in a home where Godly values are taught.