Religion is Good for Kids

[Life]

By Melinda Wenner
Special to LiveScience

Kids with religious parents are better behaved and adjusted than other children, according to a new study that is the first to look at the effects of religion on young child development.

The conflict that arises when parents regularly argue over their faith at home, however, has the opposite effect.

John Bartkowski, a Mississippi State University sociologist and his colleagues asked the parents and teachers of more than 16,000 kids, most of them first-graders, to rate how much self control they believed the kids had, how often they exhibited poor or unhappy behavior and how well they respected and worked with their peers.

The researchers compared these scores to how frequently the children�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢s parents said they attended worship services, talked about religion with their child and argued abut religion in the home.

The kids whose parents regularly attended religious services�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?��especially when both parents did so frequently�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?��and talked with their kids about religion were rated by both parents and teachers as having better self-control, social skills and approaches to learning than kids with non-religious parents.

But when parents argued frequently about religion, the children were more likely to have problems. �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????Religion can hurt if faith is a source of conflict or tension in the family,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� Bartkowski noted.

Why so good?

Bartkowski thinks religion can be good for kids for three reasons. First, religious networks provide social support to parents, he said, and this can improve their parenting skills. Children who are brought into such networks and hear parental messages reinforced by other adults may also �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????take more to heart the messages that they get in the home,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� he said.

Secondly, the types of values and norms that circulate in religious congregations tend to be self-sacrificing and pro-family, Bartkowski told LiveScience. These �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????could be very, very important in shaping how parents relate to their kids, and then how children develop in response,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� he said.

Finally, religious organizations imbue parenting with sacred meaning and significance, he said.

University of Virginia sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox, who was not involved in the study, agrees. At least for the most religious parents, �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????getting their kids into heaven is more important than getting their kids into Harvard,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� Wilcox said.

But as for why religious organizations might provide more of a boost to family life than secular organizations designed to do the same thing, that�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢s still somewhat of a mystery, said Annette Mahoney, a psychologist at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, also not involved in the research. Mahoney wondered: �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????Is there anything about religion and spirituality that sets it apart?�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?��

Unanswered questions

Bartkowski points out that one limitation of his study, to be published in the journal Social Science Research, is that it did not compare how denominations differed with regards to their effects on kids.

�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????We really don�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢t know if conservative Protestant kids are behaving better than Catholic kids or behaving better than mainline Protestant kids or Jewish kids,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� he said.

It�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢s also possible that the correlation between religion and child development is the other way around, he said. In other words, instead of religion having a positive effect on youth, maybe the parents of only the best behaved children feel comfortable in a religious congregation.

�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????There are certain expectations about children�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢s behavior within a religious context, particularly within religious worship services,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� he said. These expectations might frustrate parents, he said, and make congregational worship �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????a less viable option if they feel their kids are really poorly behaved.�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?��

http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070424_religion_kids.html

[Life]

By Melinda Wenner
Special to LiveScience

Kids with religious parents are better behaved and adjusted than other children, according to a new study that is the first to look at the effects of religion on young child development.

The conflict that arises when parents regularly argue over their faith at home, however, has the opposite effect.

John Bartkowski, a Mississippi State University sociologist and his colleagues asked the parents and teachers of more than 16,000 kids, most of them first-graders, to rate how much self control they believed the kids had, how often they exhibited poor or unhappy behavior and how well they respected and worked with their peers.

The researchers compared these scores to how frequently the children�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢s parents said they attended worship services, talked about religion with their child and argued abut religion in the home.

The kids whose parents regularly attended religious services�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?��especially when both parents did so frequently�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?��and talked with their kids about religion were rated by both parents and teachers as having better self-control, social skills and approaches to learning than kids with non-religious parents.

But when parents argued frequently about religion, the children were more likely to have problems. �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????Religion can hurt if faith is a source of conflict or tension in the family,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� Bartkowski noted.

Why so good?

Bartkowski thinks religion can be good for kids for three reasons. First, religious networks provide social support to parents, he said, and this can improve their parenting skills. Children who are brought into such networks and hear parental messages reinforced by other adults may also �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????take more to heart the messages that they get in the home,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� he said.

Secondly, the types of values and norms that circulate in religious congregations tend to be self-sacrificing and pro-family, Bartkowski told LiveScience. These �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????could be very, very important in shaping how parents relate to their kids, and then how children develop in response,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� he said.

Finally, religious organizations imbue parenting with sacred meaning and significance, he said.

University of Virginia sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox, who was not involved in the study, agrees. At least for the most religious parents, �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????getting their kids into heaven is more important than getting their kids into Harvard,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� Wilcox said.

But as for why religious organizations might provide more of a boost to family life than secular organizations designed to do the same thing, that�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢s still somewhat of a mystery, said Annette Mahoney, a psychologist at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, also not involved in the research. Mahoney wondered: �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????Is there anything about religion and spirituality that sets it apart?�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?��

Unanswered questions

Bartkowski points out that one limitation of his study, to be published in the journal Social Science Research, is that it did not compare how denominations differed with regards to their effects on kids.

�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????We really don�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢t know if conservative Protestant kids are behaving better than Catholic kids or behaving better than mainline Protestant kids or Jewish kids,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� he said.

It�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢s also possible that the correlation between religion and child development is the other way around, he said. In other words, instead of religion having a positive effect on youth, maybe the parents of only the best behaved children feel comfortable in a religious congregation.

�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????There are certain expectations about children�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¢s behavior within a religious context, particularly within religious worship services,�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�� he said. These expectations might frustrate parents, he said, and make congregational worship �??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�???????a less viable option if they feel their kids are really poorly behaved.�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢�?????�????�???�??�?�¢?�?????�????�???�??�?�¬�??????�?????�????�???�??�?��

http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070424_religion_kids.html

[The]

# what do u personally think of it, bud, is "religion" good for kids? (-:

## take care! (-:

[Life]

Salam bro,

# what do u personally think of it, bud, is "religion" good for kids? (-:

Almost all religions teaches love and peace, thats exactly what we try to teach our kids. When childern grow up they have enough brains to choose whatever way they want. I say this cos many times we see ppl of extreme cults leave their cults and their teaching.

So yes religion is good for kids. It helps them to imagine, think, ponder. I would stress that childern should be allowed to discuss their thinkings. instead of nailing religion into their brains.

When my son was 3yrs old he used to question, is God bigger than this truck, bigger than this building, bigger than the mountain, where is He, what does He looks like and so on. Now hes 5 and couple of months back he had a talk with friend in school, who told him that god is a dog. My son replied ''you are dogs malik/master so he cannot be God''.
What I mean to say is, we should teach religion to kids freely and let them learn from their arguments.

Have your say!

[Life]

Salam bro,

# what do u personally think of it, bud, is "religion" good for kids? (-:

Almost all religions teaches love and peace, thats exactly what we try to teach our kids. When childern grow up they have enough brains to choose whatever way they want. I say this cos many times we see ppl of extreme cults leave their cults and their teaching.

So yes religion is good for kids. It helps them to imagine, think, ponder. I would stress that childern should be allowed to discuss their thinkings. instead of nailing religion into their brains.

When my son was 3yrs old he used to question, is God bigger than this truck, bigger than this building, bigger than the mountain, where is He, what does He looks like and so on. Now hes 5 and couple of months back he had a talk with friend in school, who told him that god is a dog. My son replied ''you are dogs malik/master so he cannot be God''.
What I mean to say is, we should teach religion to kids freely and let them learn from their arguments.

Have your say!

[The]