YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS YOUR FIRST TEACHER

YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS YOUR FIRST TEACHER

There is a popular saying that goes, “Show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.” The same principle can be applied to the environment in which you live.

But why is this so?

As individuals, parents, children and even organisations, our environment plays a significant role in shaping who we eventually become. Our surroundings influence our thinking, behaviour, habits, values, relationships and perception of life.

Long before a child enters a classroom, the environment has already begun teaching them. In many ways, your living environment is your first social learning institution.

Consider this: when an individual grows up in an environment predominantly occupied by middle-income or low-income earners, certain lifestyle patterns, social interactions and economic realities may gradually become familiar to them. Their social networks may also largely consist of people within similar economic circumstances.

This does not necessarily mean that someone must remain within the financial or social circumstances of the environment in which they were raised. However, the people we interact with regularly can influence our ambitions, financial decisions, opportunities and general outlook on life.

Human beings are naturally influenced by their surroundings. Sometimes, without consciously realising it, we adopt the attitudes, habits and behaviours of the people around us. Depending on the influence we receive, this can either contribute positively to our growth or become a limitation to our development.

This is why choosing the right environment for raising children is particularly important.

Children are observant. They learn not only from what they are told but also from what they see happening around them. Their understanding of acceptable behaviour, communication, relationships and social responsibility is often shaped by their immediate surroundings.

When children are constantly exposed to crime, violence, unruly behaviour and other negative social influences, there is a possibility that they may begin to perceive such behaviours as normal.

This is not to suggest that every child raised in a disadvantaged environment will develop negative habits or that every child raised in an affluent neighbourhood will turn out successful. Rather, it highlights the importance of exposure, guidance and positive social influences during childhood.

As parents and guardians, we must understand that providing for our children goes beyond food, clothing, education and shelter. The environment in which we raise them also deserves serious consideration.

Ultimately, we may not have complete control over every circumstance surrounding our lives, but we can be intentional about the environments we expose ourselves and our children to.

Because sometimes, the difference between who we are today and who we aspire to become is not just what we have been taught, but also what we have been exposed to.