Respect

Respect is being thoughtful, courteous and showing care and regard for yourself, other people and things.

Dear Parents,
One of the most important things you can teach your children is respect. Respect is not the same as obedience. Children may obey you because they are afraid of you, but children who respect you will listen to you, because they know you want what is best for them.

Have you ever told your children, “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you”? Of course, because the best way to teach respect is to be respectful. When children experience respect, they learn what it feels like and begin to understand how important it is. Being respectful helps children succeed in life. People who are disrespectful to their peers, supervisors, or themselves, seldom succeed. Believe it or not, parents are more influential in how well their children behave than any other factor.

What can parents and caregivers do to help their children develop respect?

Show others respect. Use the same manners you would like your children to exhibit. When you show respect to other people, your children learn how to be respectful. Apologize when you are wrong, be honest, follow rules, and show concern for others.

Show your children respect. Sometimes the people we are closest to are the ones we show the least respect. Honor your children by respecting them. Don’t embarrass them in public. Let your child take responsibility for their choices. Give your child your full attention when talking.
Keep promises. Listen to your child’s side of the story before making a judgment.

Teach your child self-respect. Respecting oneself is the most important form of respect, because you can’t respect others unless you respect yourself. Don’t say how dumb, fat, or ugly you are in front of your children, even when joking. Show how you respect yourself when eating,
exercising or studying.

Explain rules you set. For instance, if the rule is, “No television between 4:00 and 6:00,” explain that this is homework time because it is important to keep your grades up.