Teaching Respect
The Most Effective Means of Teaching Respect
One of the most important things to teach a child is respect. They need to respect themselves, their peers and their elders.
If you ask a parent or teacher how to teach respect, you may get multiple answers. But actually, the most meaningful way of teaching respect is to show the child respect, first. Especially where children are concerned, they will experience respect first-hand, they will recognize it and appreciate it, and then will be more inclined to extend respect to others.
If a child is respectful, he will take care of his belongings and the belongings of others, too. He will learn to accept responsibilities, and he will learn to get along with his peers. While teachers and mentors attempt to teach children about respect, it is your responsibility as a parent to show your child what respect feels like. A child who is not respectful at home will very likely not be respectful in the classroom or anyone else, either.
There are different ways to show your child respect. These include being honest, being fair, trusting your child and being a good listener. If your child confides in you and knows that he can trust you to listen and be concerned for him, he can develop those same feelings towards others.
When setting rules for your child, make sure to explain why the rules are important. “Because I say so” is not a valid reason. Teaching respect also includes teaching your child to respect himself. Until he respects himself, he won't respect others.
Your child cares deeply how you feel about him and how you display those feelings. If you show your child that you believe in him, then he can believe in himself. Set goals that your child can achieve. Reward him when he does achieve it. This will help to boost his self-esteem, and make him feel better about himself.
When you are honest with your child, you set up a scenario where your child can be honest with you as well. Encourage him to be honest. Let your child know that people sometimes get away with dishonesty, but eventually, they get caught, and it's better not to be dishonest in the first place.
It's also important to praise your child when he shows respect for himself, you or others. Recognize your child when he makes decisions based on honesty, integrity and respect. On the other side, be sure to correct your child when he acts disrespectfully. He has to know that you will reward him when he does well, and correct him when he does wrong.
Teaching respect starts with showing respect, and the rest is built on that base.