An article posted by livescience.com explores the findings of a study done to gauge the stickiness of certain personality traits assessed from elementary school age. The results have been published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Using data from a 1960s study of approximately 2,400 ethnically diverse school children in Hawaii, researchers compared teacher personality ratings of the students of students from first to sixth grade to videotaped interviews of 144 of those individuals forty years later.
You can read about it at: http://www.livescience.com/8432-personality-set-life-1st-grade-study-suggests.html
The possible lesson here...the earlier you start, the better chance to have your influence stick for the long run.
With this and any scientific study, take this information with a grain of salt. Whether true or not, we think we should always aim high when it comes to standards. If you can start telling a child to work hard from the start, share and be generous with others, have patience, organize your time and efforts to achieve long term goals, communicate your feelings, avoid selfishness, etc...the more likely it is to stick.
Now there’s a gift you can give them for the future. Happy Parenting!
Check out our inspirational videos section if you need help getting your child to care about germs, their teeth, eating right, watching their time on digital devices and more! You can also read the science behind why you should incentivize your kids.
