A child cannot concentrate on long speech and if you did so, he will turn away and keep himself busy with something else!!! He likes brief messages which he can pick up and understand easily. If you are compelled to tell a long story, try and make it

Imitation

A child in kindergarten and primary stages is fond of imitating. He copies the movements of hands, head and features. He also imitates the walking and voices, he tries to absorb the characteristics of others and imitate them. Sunday School teachers and family members of the child have to be watchful otherwise he will imitate something bad of them. If a mother discovered that her child says a strange word or does a queer movement, she must understand that he picked it from others, maybe the neighbors, the visitors, a family member or the television. Here, we have to safeguard the child's environment as much as possible.

Before he leaves home (when he is older) to join the wider world, we must establish in him good principles which make him reject what he sees or hears contradicting such principles. When he does wrong, we do not rebuke him with a bad word, for fear that he picks it up and uses it with others. Here too we find the danger of domestic disputes between married couples, the language they exchange and the wrong actions in front of the children. It is either they pick up the same wording and use it, or their parents' ideals are no more a source of their education. Sometimes adults talk in front of children assuming that they do not understand!!

If a baby cannot understand, undoubtedly a child, who starts talking, expands his comprehension day after day. Even if he does not understand all what he hears, he grasps from the features and intensity of sound for example and then draws a conclusion. He might imitate what he hears or sees even without understanding. Comprehension is not important to him, but the sight. A child imitates his mother in all that she does. She enters the church, stands up to pray and makes the sign of the Cross, and he does the same. If she kneels before the altar or greets the priest and kisses his hand, he does the same.

He imitates his mother and his father if he enters the church with him. If the parents are religious, he will pick up their piety. Here we see marriage is a responsibility and not just a mere relationship between couples. It is an educational and spiritual mission for the children - whether from the point of education or the good example.

Therefore, for those intending to get married, they must be spiritually and educationally qualified for being a role model for future generations. A child does not forget what he hears, but frequently he recalls and repeats it, even in front of visitors, or other members of the family, and tells whoever he meets "Dad said so. Mum says so" or he may even recall an event eg. Dad hit Mum! A child does not keep a secret. Beware of any secrets said in front of him assuming that he does not hear it because he is asleep, while he is not.

Source: Pope Shenouda III. 1995. How to relate to children. Coptic orthodox publication and translation. Sydney, Australia.