According to Developmental psychologists, human beings’ have an extraordinary ability to imitate – to mimic what they see and hear. Numerous studies have found that young children imitate a variety of behaviours, from carrying out simple actions using objects to producing the sounds of their native language. This is a reminder to parents to be cautious how you live or do things that can be watched and copied.

Often we underestimate that children don’t understand some of the things but by experience and through study, we can confirm that everything going around them, they can notice. Their mind is like a computer that can record anything. Sometimes, they choose to show it outside. So, as parents we can keep investing whether it is spiritual or life valuing principles.

The proper role of the parent is to provide encouragement, support, and access to activities that enable the child to master key developmental tasks. A child’s learning and socialisation are most influenced by their family since the family is the child’s primary social group. Happy parents raise happy children.

Parents include mothers and fathers, as well as other caregivers who act as parents. From birth, children rely on parents to provide them with the care they need to be happy and healthy, and to grow and develop well.

The influence of imitation on children is beyond imagination-

We are aware of the fact that early brain development has a lasting impact on a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school and life. Infants and toddlers are the world’s best “copy cats.” Young children learn from their parents, caregivers and even from watching television. Young children are paying attention to the world around them every waking moment.

They develop the  ability to mirror, repeat, and practise the actions of others, either immediately or later. At around 8 months of age, children imitate simple actions and expressions of others during interactions. For example the child may: Copy the infant care teacher’s movements when playing pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo. In general as humans we all  are deeply inclined to imitation and we also learn by imitation^​​. 

We are programmed to copy other’s actions, to understand them and to incorporate them into our own. Children, in particular, watch everything their parents do very carefully. From birth to age 5, a child’s brain develops more than at any other time in life.

I encourage young parents to explore the possibilities by which to inculcate values that we want our children/ grandchildren to know, even while they are young. Don’t you agree?