Children Learn By Observing The Behaviour Of Adults And Copying It | Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample

Children learn by observing the behavior of adults and copying it. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

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Band 8 IELTS essay sample

Children mirror the behavior of adults that they are exposed to. Therefore I completely agree with the statement that children are impressionable and learn from adult behavior patterns that they see.

Children are akin to clean slates with a minimal inherent / inborn understanding of what is right or wrong.  They are also keen observers of the environment around them. As such, any activity performed by an adult in their vicinity becomes a lesson that they imbibe. And this absorption of one’s surroundings often happens without filters and without a complete understanding of its implications. For example, if a child observes an adult being physically abusive to another person, then the child normalizes physical abuse and may become abusive to their peers. The child does not, on their own rationalize the merits and demerits of violence and simply apes the adult’s behaviour. This is why it is imperative that adults in a child’s life, be they the parents, uncles, aunts or grandparents inculcate a sense of good and bad in the child; they should help the child distinguish good behaviour from bad and replicate only what is acceptable.

Copying an adult’s behavior also has implications for the child’s future life. Their habits, likes and dislikes, and overall personality are shaped by what they see and learn during their early life. If a child observes adults around them being lazy and unhealthy, the child subconsciously imbibes this and implements it in their life. Conversely, a child observing active and healthy adults around them are more likely to lead a healthier life in the future because they  wire themselves to be so.

Thus, children exposed to a multitude of different behavior by adults tend to copy them and in turn mould their own future personalities. The onus, however, is on the adults to serve as an example that they’ll be proud of when the child eventually mirrors them.