1. Characterize Different Experiences
Children learn the concept of good and bad primarily through osmosis. Around 2 or 3 years of age, children can start to understand abstract concepts and make logical connections between things. Teaching a child the difference between good and bad is done primarily through characterizing their experiences with these terms. For example, even before children can speak, we may ask, "Don't you feel good?" when they are sick. We also teach these concepts through our reaction to behavior. When they do something right, parents say, "Very good. You got the right answer." When they are misbehaving, we say things like, "Hitting the dog is bad. It hurts him." Eventually, children learn what constitutes good behavior and bad behavior. In the beginning, it's important to explain why something is good or bad to help your child understand the difference.
2. Read Storybooks Together
Many books for toddlers contain stories rooted in the differences between good and bad. Fairy tales, in particular, use these concepts as the basis for the storyline. For example, in "Cinderella", the stepmother is obviously bad and the fairy godmother is obviously good. Reading aloud to children and explaining the characters and plot helps teach your children about who is good and who is bad within the story. To reinforce these concepts, you can quiz your children about the books you read. Asking, "Who is good in this story?" gives your child a chance to demonstrate understanding.
3. Use Food as a Teaching Tool
You also can teach the concept of good and bad by using the senses. Taste is a visceral sense, and even small children can differentiate what they like from what they don't almost immediately. When a child eats something that she likes, saying, "Mmm...good" identifies the word "good" with something pleasant. When a child tastes something she doesn't like, saying "Ew...bad" identifies the word "bad" with something that she perceives as unpleasant. You do not normally need to teach your child the difference between good and bad explicitly, because by the time he is old enough to express comprehension of the concept, it is usually already ingrained through experiences like these.
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