The Family
We are not born knowing how to behave in society, we have to learn many of the
behaviours from the environment and people around us, growing up.
For most of us, this learning starts with the family at home.
Learning comes in many forms. Sometimes children learn by being told something
directly. However, the most common way children learn is by observation of
everyday life.
A child’s learning and socialization are most influenced by their family since the
family is the child’s primary social group.
Child development happens physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually during
this time.
To make an analogy, if you were constructing a large building, you have to make
sure that it has a solid foundation so that the rest of the building can stand tall and
strong for many years to come. If the foundation is not strong, the building will have
trouble standing on its own. Just like people, if our foundations are not solid, we find
it more difficult to be successful in our relationships with others, work, health, and
ourselves. So, it cannot be stressed enough how important the family is in the
development of a child.
This is why ‘Family’ is one of our core values at Cedar Crest. In many cases, your
children spend most of their day with us, we are in a way an extension of the family
unit. We therefore strive to create an environment in which children are nurtured,
loved and cared for, as they are in their primary social group, their family unit.
‘Children learn about the nature of the world from their family. They learn about
power and about justice, about peace and about compassion within the family.
Whether we oppress or liberate our children in our relationships with them will
determine whether they grow up to oppress and be oppressed or to liberate and be
liberated.’ … Desmond Tutu