Respect Starts Now: Why Teaching Respect Begins in the Home

As adults, we know that respect is often hard to come by. We may feel disrespected at work, in social situations, and in the way the world can sometimes seem rigged against us. For many of us, respect is a hard virtue to cultivate because it is so rarely exemplified in our lives. However, it’s important as a parent for you to learn how to show respect and ask for it, so that your child knows how to express this much-needed trait in our society. 

Compassion For All

As a parent, your responsibility to your child is to show them how to survive on their own. This includes the interactions with the other people around them. Respecting your fellow human is vital to growing as an adult. Teaching your kid the importance of kindness is a vital component of this puzzle. Compassion for others allows you to better sympathize and empathize with the plights of others. Do not gossip or talk negatively about others in your own home and around the children. Show them that despite all of the negativity and hate in the world that there are still good people, and that they can be one of them. In that same token though, ensure that your child learns the difference between kindness and weakness. Compassion and empathy can easily be manipulated into someone being taken advantage of, so make sure your child has their own self respect.

Nothing Wrong With No

Having to disagree or tell someone “no” can be quite the difficult thing, especially for a growing child. Letting someone down easily while not hurting their feelings is a delicate tightrope that we all must walk on a daily basis. Showing your little one that it is okay to say no and have disagreements is paramount to their development. Questioning the world around us is how we all advance as a species. Sometimes the quest of instilling respect in your child can lead them to lose their ability to question. Respecting one’s elders is a popular adage that is always good to follow, but not if it costs the ability to challenge something that is wrong. Now, showing your child the difference between being firm and being rude is also crucial to the whole puzzle.

Love Thine Self 

When many of us think of respect, we equate it to how we act around others. However, the most important version of respect is how we treat ourselves. Many people lack the self respect to be the best version of themselves. “Treat others how you would like to be treated” is only the golden rule when a person knows how they should be treated. Showing your child to stand up for themselves, eat healthy, exercise, and continue to grow is vital. Your job as a parent is to provide for your child until they can provide for themselves, so teach them.