Give me a child until he is seven

[Lee1]

The Jesuits famously stated “give me a child until he is seven and I’ll show you the man.”
Actually originally stated by Aristotle but attributed to Francis Xavier.

Do we agree with this statement?

Is it simply brain washing or a good and noble idea to instruct them as much as possible with regard to religion, specifically Catholicism before the age of seven?

 

[Allegra]

I don’t know what the context of that statement is, but I will say that a lot of a person’s habits and personality and formed by the time they are seven. It’s likely that they will have similar strengths and struggles throughout their life from that point. THat being said, who a person “is” has a lot more to do with their choices and ability to self-regulate and step out of their comfort zone at appropriate times and not really their natural inclinations.

 

[His_helpmeet]

We know now that toxic stress, especially prior to age 3, is very damaging to children’s brains. It has the potential to affect their mental and physical health throughout life. (3 is a critical age because until that time the brain is building connections. After age 3 the brain prunes away excess connections.) We also know that a healthy environment, especially in the first 5 years of life, is protective against negative mental and physical health effects later in life.