Moral Development

There is an inner voice which emerges at age six. This inner voice determines right and wrong, but it also emits feelings of morality. Some children feel this voice early on in life, while others do not. These sentiments create emotional stability for a person. Feelings of love, compassion, and kindness all stem for this sensible "voice."

There is not a direct correlation between social-economa-strata (S.E.S.) and the prevalence of this voice. Some of those born as an elite have gone on to have emotionally impoverished lives. Some of the most loving parents have had unmoral children, while some poor abused children in the ghetto have turned out to be world-renowned human rights activists.

While knowledge of right vs. wrong is determined by the pattern previously set by one's parents, morality is not. A child develops a sense of morality based on his or her assessment of their early surroundings. They decide who they care about and who cares for them, then they generalize these feelings to others in their life.

Let us take the example of the abused child in the ghetto. Perhaps there was one person in their life, such as their grandmother, who explained that life had many wonderful things to offer. Their purpose in living then became escape from their present situation. This was an incentive to learn and prepare for independence. They did not generalize their feelings towards the rest of the world. Here there is a good chance that the child's morality will be accentuated later in life

Now let us examine a child from an upper S.E.S. family. This child has gotten everything it desires since birth. However, it does not value the opinions of its parents. It does not attempt to please them, or work hard to keep out of their wrath. When dismay is expressed for their actions, they feel no remorse. The groundwork earlier laid lacked devotion, and emotion. Chances are that the parents never truly expressed what they felt, who they were, or allowed the child to understand the family problems.

Another important aspect in creating a moral child is a feeling of "belonging." If the child feels that it plays an important role in the family, it will develop a sense of morality based on protecting it's loved ones. It will feel that it takes care of others, and therefore what they think truly matters, and how they feel is crucial to his well-being.

A moral child is not too difficult to create as long as emotion is kept in the picture. Allow the child to feel as if he or she is a part of the family. Tell the child your feelings, and why you feel that way. Allow them to see you when you are sad, and then see the consequences on their own life.

http://www.allsands.com/kids/moraldevelopmen_tvn_gn.ht

Personally, I have experienced this, to a degree. I was not raised in a "ghetto", nor unloved by my parents. But I was misguided with some issues and did not feel apart of my family. I did however, have grandparents that enriched me with the morals that I have today, and I did feel as if I were a part of something there. As early as I can remember, I preferred to be with my grandparents. In a Substance Abuse Prevention course that I was involved in, I learned about resilience. resilience is defined as: an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilience
It was easy for me to recover or adjust when I had to go back home, because I was taught good morals and a sense of belonging while at my grandparents house.