Newborn to 3 years old

Adjunct Associate Professor John Wong, a senior consultant at the department of psychological medicine at National University Hospital, said that there are two important systems of values children must pick up - that of justice and that of care and concern for others.

He said: 'For the majority of children under three years old, the value system of care will come first.

'The concept of justice comes later when the child is exposed to a group milieu or a structured environment like the schooling system.'

Ms Vanessa von Auer, clinic director of VA Psychology Centre, added that children under three years old understand basic messages like 'mummy is mad' or 'I should stop this behaviour'. However, they do not possess higher order thinking skills like taking on another person's point of view or the ability to solve a problem.

She said: 'They tend to imitate parents, so role-modelling acceptable behaviours is of utmost importance during these years.'

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