He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised (2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV)

It’s not easy being a child in today’s 24/7 world. While the word is becoming more complex, children maintain the same basic needs as they have for decades: to be loved and trusted, to feel safe and to have a purposeful life.

We know that the adults children will someday become are the end result of the thousands of times they received comfort when they cried as infants, learned to play with others as they got older, were spiritually nurtured by caregivers, and were shown that they were loved and valued.

Children have 50 percent of their intelligence by age 4. By age 8, 80 percent of their intelligence will be in place. Preschoolers are in the pre-operational stage of life. Children at this age think in concrete terms. We can teach them that all good things come from God and that He wants us to take care of them.

Over time children start making connections as they begin forming a foundation for their faith. Those early years are important for determining the child’s later religious attitudes. Children in the 5-7 age range begin to understand things outside their immediate surroundings and have knowledge of cause and effect. They can begin to deal with the subject of money. As children grow, their knowledge and intellectual capacity expands.