How much at a young age affects your life?

[Anon]

I am wondering...how much of life between ages birth to about age 4 affects you permanently?

If someone had a really good family, but they had some bad things happen between those ages, do you think it would affect their life at all? What if the person could remember a few things from those ages but nothing traumatic...but then found out later that traumatic things did happen in the family during those years?

Could future struggles in their life be traced back to those early years, even if they can't specifically remember much of what went on?

[lettheredeemedsayso]

It may possibly affect a person. I think it depends on the person.

I believe if they are aware of what happened during that period that the Lord can help us overcome any tragedies that may happen in our lives.

I heard a man on the radio that had his whole family killed in WWII because they were Jewish. Through the help of the Lord Jesus Christ he was able to forgive. Only Jesus can heal these kinds of wounds.

[John81]

They teach that what happens between birth and I think 3 years old has a tremendous effect upon who we become.

I always questioned this until one of the best professors I ever had taught the same thing in one of his courses. Well, actually I still questioned it, but he provided great answers.

After dealing with our oldest son, I do believe this is true.

They say much of a childs personality develops during this time. Since I was watching more closely for these things with our youngest, I could almost pinpoint where some of his current attitudes and behaviours began (he's almost 9 now).

Some of you know of the problems we've had with our oldest. Despite our best efforts to correct these problems biblically, they are still there. Many, maybe even most or perhaps virtually all, I now believe have their roots in his first 3 years of life.

[hermanj]

When I was in Illinois, we had a family in our church who experienced this. They both got saved when their oldest daughter was 1 year old. It was then that they decided to raise their child according to Biblical principles. After that decision, they had a second daughter.

While both of their daughters are serving God today, the youngest has an extremely tender heart for the Lord and the oldest, while she is not rebelling, just doesn't have as much of a heart for God as her sister. The parents believe that it was that one year that has made the difference in their kids walk with the Lord.

[God_is_good]

I lived with my mom until I was about two and then off and on until I was 6 and there were some things that happened then that still affect me, i.e. I can't talk to certain peopl, guys that are around my step dads age and some other things that is why I never talked when I was little, so when I did no one believed me until they did some investigating and found that everything that I had told my foster mom was true

[John81]

Perhaps a somewhat "classic" example of this would be those parents who let their children do pretty much what they want until they are about to enter school. Then the parents try to reign the child in so they won't act out at school but it just doesn't work that way.

Typically, there will be problems with that child expecting to have his own way as he grows.

[Trish]

The parents believe that it was that one year that has made the difference in their kids walk with the Lord.

Could be, but I doubt it. My Mom wasn't saved till I was a year old and my Dad when I was 6. To this day out of the 6 of us I am the only IFBer and I'm the oldest.

[His by Grace]

What happens in a child's life stays with them- good or bad-for a lifetime!