Children and Development

In Dictionary of Indonesian children is the second derivative.Children are a member of the family where the parents are the family leaders, as responsible for the safety of its citizens in the world and especially in the hereafter.

Further developments by Syamsu Joseph is a continuous change within the individual from the start birth to death. And development of the author means here is the development of the moral aspect, namely the changes experienced by a person towards the level of maturity that goes on an ongoing basis concerning the accretion of knowledge about the size of a child is good and bad.

According to Abu Ahmad in his book entitled "Developmental Psychology" says that one's moral development is closely related to social development of children in addition to the external influence of the development of thoughts, feelings and wishes of the child's self response.

Morality can not occur only through notions, without the exercises, habituation and examples of acquired since childhood. The habit is ingrained with gradually fade in accordance with the growth of intelligence, after that the child is given a moral notions. Next Zakiah Daradjat said that in moral development, religion has an important role, because the moral values that come from religion remained and did not vary by time and place.

In line with the above opinion Sabiq Barbari also said: knowledge acquired in childhood are very impressed, but not impressive when acquired in adulthood. As the green tree branches can be established easily, but if it has dried can not be enforced.

The process of moral development of children may be accomplished in several ways as follows:

Education Direct, namely by planting the notion of behavior is right and wrong, or good and bad by parents, teachers or other adults.

Identification, by way of identifying or mimic the appearance or behavior of someone who became his idol morals (such as parents, teachers, clerics, artists other adults).

The process of trial and error (trial and error), that is by developing moral behavior by trial and error. Behavior that brings praise or award will continue to be developed, while the behavior that brings a penalty will be terminated.

Robert J. Havighurst, has divided the stages of moral development into four stages a person, adjusted for the value / values that exist, namely:

1. Age 1-4 years: At this stage the size of the good and bad for a kid it depends on what is said by an adult. Although the child was not yet know the true nature or the difference between good and bad.

2. Age 4-8 years: At this stage the size of values for a child is born of (reality). Children can not interpret the things that implied from an act, the act was intentional or not, children do not know who he is just the reality.

3. Age 8-13 years: In this phase the children are familiar with the size of the inner good-bad (not real), although still limited.

4. Age 13 years and beyond: In this phase a child already well aware of decency tentag values (value). Children will obey or violate based on his understanding of the concept of value received. At this time the child is really a set of conditions to control himself.

Of the few opinions can be concluded that in the moral education of children should start small and stick to religion and religious education because the experience is felt as a child will determine the attitude of children as adults, and all of it is the responsibility of parents.