Morality is learnedBabies are born neither intrinsically good nor intrinsically bad. Children learn behaviors and values from their environment – mainly from their parents, but also from siblings, other relatives, peers, teachers, and increasingly, the media. Children learn from watching how other people behave, from having conversations with adults about behavior, and from their own experience. The moral behavior of young children may first be motivated by wanting to please beloved adults, or by concerns and fears about punishment. As children grow and develop, they begin to internalize external moral values as their own. However, children all grow and develop at different rates, and the ages assigned to the following stages of moral development are approximate. Moral Milestones by Age

Grade-schoolers need help taking responsibility for their actions and learning that actions have consequences. Children change a lot during this time: A six-year-old might not understand the finality of death, but a ten-year-old should have a good sense of what it means.

Adolescents become capable of thinking about more complex moral issues, such as the death penalty and the extremes of wealth and poverty.

Parents aren’t the only influenceAs a parent you have an enormous influence on your child’s values and behavior, but we mustn’t underestimate the influence of peers and the media as well.
Excessive exposure to violence or disrespectful behavior can affect the way children resolve conflicts or treat others. The media can affect children’s behavior directly, but it also influences kids indirectly through their peers’ exposure to it. Having an ongoing conversationWhen your children are very young, get in the habit of talking with them about justice and other moral issues. Talk with them about violence and your feelings about it. By keeping the lines of communication open as they grow, you’re providing your children with an invaluable opportunity to explore their own ideas about morality and to reinforce the values that are important to you and your family. Life is full of moral decisions and quandaries. There are opportunities to talk about your family ethics and morality with your children everywhere. Use news stories, movies, TV shows, books, and daily life events as a platform for talking about moral issues.
Encourage your children, even at an early age, to express their own opinions, to think about what they might do and say in various situations, and to try to put themselves in the shoes of victims of injustice. Recommended Reading: