Research suggests that children’s personalities tend to be predictors of adult behaviors. This research study by Robins LN cites that antisocial behaviors in childhood are strong predictors of adult behavior. In fact, a very large portion of your personality is formed within the early years of child development.
It’s important to realize this because children are very impressionable, and childhood development has lasting effects. In fact, children’s educational performance and high school graduation rates may be influenced by the parent-attachment style of the family. Thus, it’s important to understand the four infant attachment styles and raise children with empathy, affection, and positive virtues as they are developing. These early years tend to both be the most impressionable and most formative.
It is for this reason that children need to be taught about emotional development early on. Children will benefit when raised from a paradigm of love rather than fear, and desire to cultivate self-esteem rather than self-loathing.