before 3

"train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he would not depart from it."

when a child looses his/her mom at childbirth, sometimes we think that such children are out for a bad future because there would be no guidance or leading and that the father wouldn't be so perfect as to lead as the mom would. God said he is the father of the fatherless, and mother to those without one. "Though your father and mother may forsake u, i will not leave you nor forsake u". Isaiah said "can a woman forget her suckling child not to give him food?" how much more God.
Children observes, what they see you do, they would one day do....they don't have to be old. A small boy of about 1year and 2 months had his hand in water and rubbing them against on another as though he was washing clothes....we were all stunned, he has seen his mom washing and has observed so well. Another little girl was on her mom's back and her mom spat, after some minutes, she spat also....she picked that up from her mom.
From their baby stage, they start to observe especially their father, mother, nannies, brothers, sisters and even outsiders. As they grow, they watch and observe all the more.
You child is what he sees and observe in u.