01 Jun Children See, Children Do – Jun 11

By Maria Tanudjaja

Are you familiar with the phrase “Monkey see, monkey do”? It’s a saying that refers to the process of learning and mimicking without a clear understanding of why it works and limited knowledge of the consequences.

In their d e v e l o p i n g years, children have a tendency to follow adults, mimic their habits, and do what they do. I remember being a 10 years old, I sneaked out to the fridge and drank the cold water directly from the bottle. Aaahhhhh…it was so FRESH! The pleasure didn’t last long as I soon got caught. My dad gave me a long lecture on how I should use the glass instead of gulped it from the bottle and I got in more trouble when I responded loudly: “But you’re doing it as well!”

I’m not a 10 years old kid anymore and I now understand that when I drink directly from the bottle, I deposit bacteria from my mouth on the rim of the bottle. But when I was a kid, it’s just as simple as: I see adults doing it and I want to do it too.

Recently, I get the opportunity to volunteer with YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) to be a breakfast buddy in one of the school in Sydney. The children who attend this school are disadvantaged children that comes from a family with domestic violence record. At the induction, the YWCA instructor explains that children who witness domestic violence are as much affected as children who experience the abuse themselves. We need to be careful in our act, because, what we do, our children follow. As believers whose life are led by the Holy Spirit, does the fruits of the spirit become apparent in our daily life?

Timmy learns about love when his mother cooks the best meal for him although she is very tired. Daniel witness self control when he watches his dad take only a spoonful of ice cream in a cup and put the rest of it back in the fridge. Angie mimic kindness by sharing her colouring pencil to her friends after she observed how her parents let an old lady to jump the queue.

We need to be careful in our act, because, what we do, our children follow.

So the next time when your kids pick up the phone from someone you do not wish to speak to, will you whisper “Tell auntie that mommy’s not home” or will you pick up the phone? The choice is yours.