Traditionally, the children have practiced their morals through the way
that they talk, act, and play. Many times the children show their morals
mainly through the toys that they play with. When a child chooses to play
with a toy, he/she can either play with an aggressive toy or with a
neutral toy. When a child chooses to play with an aggressive toy they
might just be trying get some aggression out. The child feels frustrated
and wants to get some things off his/her mind. This forms children's
morals because it is making the children choose what is good and what is
bad.
The parents are the main focus point when it comes to the way that the
children are going to act and think. The day that the child is born the
parents are teaching the children about what is good and what is wrong.
The parents usually teach what they believe to be true, because they think
what they do is the right thing and they want their children to be like
them. Many times the child will still form their own opinions about what
is good and what is bad, but the parents were still there in the beginning
to lead the children and give them somewhere to start.
Children are very easily influenced. They can be influenced by the
children that they go to school with everyday or by what they watch on
television. However, the friendships that the children form in school are
formed through the fact that they something in common with the other
child. If a child wants to be friends with a group of children badly
enough he/she will change the way that they act in order to impress the
other children. This may cause the children's morals to be swayed in ways
that can be harmful to the child. Everything that the parents have worked
to instill in their children could disappear in any matter of time. It is
up to the children to be able to make the right decision and not diminish
their morals.
Bakker, Nelleke. Winter 2000. "The Meaning of Fear. Emotional Standards
for Children in the Netherlands, 1850-1950: Was There A Western
Transformation?" Journal of Social History Vol.34, No2: 369-391.
Hellendoorn, Joop and Harninck, Frits J.H. 1997. "War Toy Play and
Agression in Dutch Kindergarten Children." Social Development 6:
340-354.
References For This Page:
The purpose of this site is to inform web users of the status of children
in the Netherlands.We are not and do not claim to be experts on the
Netherlands. This project was completed with limited resources and time.
This site was designed by Lindsey Heines, Melissa Venture, Corey Penedo,
and Dane Harbaugh as part of a collaborative web project for the first
year writing seminar Children & Society at Tulane University
Tulane University taught by
Professor April Brayfield..