Before teaching kids anything parents themselves have to know and practice what they are going to teach their kids. Kids look up to their parents for everything and parents are the role models of kids.
We often forget that children aren’t born with a built-in sense of respect for others. While each child has a different personality, all children need to be taught to be respectful.
“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” – Bruce Lee
It’s important to remember that your child is not your friend—he’s your child. Your job is to teach him to be able to function in the world. This means teaching him to behave respectfully to others, not just you.
“Most good relationships are built on mutual trust and respect.” – Mona Sutphen
Respect means showing that another person is important by our actions and words. It makes us show consideration to others and also to hold them in good regard.
Here are 10 ways to get your kids to respect others.
1. Parents need to respect other people before they set out to teaching their kids to respect others:
Kids need to respect even those who disrespect them. There are people in the world who talk ill about others and hurt others’ feelings.
Your life is too precious to be wasted by thinking about such people and their misdeeds. You just have to walk away from them and yet show them respect. You need to teach the same thing to your kids too.
2. There is no fixed way to teach kids how to respect others:
Kids have a brain which is always open for new things. It is highly receptive which will absorb all the linguistic input their surroundings offer them.
They just have to see their parents respecting others, they will consider that to be the way they should also adopt and they will adopt it.
3. Children learn by imitation:
They carefully observe what their parents and other elders do. They think whatever their parents do is right and that is worth doing.
They also tend to do the same thing. Therefore, parents need to be extremely careful in speaking in the presence of kids.
4. Teach your child basic social interaction skills:
It may sound old fashioned, but it’s very important to teach your child basic manners like saying “please” and “thank you.”
Understand that using manners—just a simple “excuse me” or “thank you”—is also a form of empathy. It teaches your kids to respect others and acknowledge their impact on other people.
5. Always be patience with children:
Encourage them with positive reinforcement when they do something good to their siblings or friends. Positive reinforcement enhances learning.
Kids will soon learn what is nice and respectful by these petty rewards.
6. Spend more time teaching love than teaching rules:
Children who are taught the connection between love and discipline can accept consequences more easily than those who are governed exclusively by “do it because I said so” and “chapter and verse.”
7. Parents must be very careful in interacting with their kids:
They have to listen to what kids say very attentively. Parents should not raise their voice, roll their eyes or hit the kids.
If parents do any of these, kids will consider those behaviors very much acceptable and they will soon start doing those.
8. Make your children feel they are the most important parts of your life:
They need to feel a sense of belongingness and attachment which would make them family-oriented yet good citizens who value humanity.
When they see their parents caring for them they will also learn how to take care of others and to be concerned.
9. Share your values and beliefs with your children:
You can’t force your children to adopt your beliefs. But when your children understand why you believe what you believe, they’ll recognize that you’re a person of principles.
10. Don’t assume that you understand how your children feel:
When your children share their problems with you, don’t tell them that you know exactly what they’re going through.
You’ll form a bette10. Don’t assume that you understand how your children feel:r connection with them if you ask them how they feel and do your best to understand their perspective.
Quotes about Respect:
Make improvements, not excuses. Seek respect, not attention. – Roy T. Bennett
One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. – Bryant H. McGill
Respect is a two-way street, if you want to get it, you’ve got to give it. – R.G. Risch
Live with integrity, respect the rights of other people, and follow your own bliss. – Nathaniel Branden
Men are respectable only as they respect. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
I must respect the opinions of others even if I disagree with them. – Herbert H. Lehman
Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear. – Albert Camus
Respect a man, he will do the more. – James Howell
Respect comes in two unchangeable steps: Giving it and receiving it. – Edmond Mbiaka
Respect begins with this attitude: I acknowledge that you are a creature of extreme worth. – Gary Chapman
Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners. – Laurence Sterne
A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone. – Billy Graham