Common Sense Parenting – Respect Posted By : Wendy Greif
December 17th, 2008Respect has many different definitions in the dictionary. The one I’m going to use is from Webster‘s New World Dictionary and it says: to show consideration for.
When I was younger, I always remember my parents telling me to respect my elders. Well, now IÂ’m an elder and I donÂ’t always see children showing respect to their elders.
Children are very impressionable. They listened and observe what their parents and other adults say. When we see a child (of any age) acting a certain way, we can almost be assured that they are mimicking something they have seen or heard. For instance: cussing. More and more children are using profanity in the schools. As a former high school teacher, I heard students use the f – word as a common everyday word. Most of them didnÂ’t even know they had said it when it was pointed out to them. Now, I know that not all these students were hearing this word at home. But, enough is enough. That shows a total lack of respect towards others.
Respect is something that is taught at home first. As parents we need to make our children understand that not everyone feels the same way we do. We need to be considerate of others. We live in a country that has more freedoms then many other countries. Yet, we are losing respect towards one another.
When a child shows no respect for others or themselves, thatÂ’s when they start getting in trouble. Respect towards others goes a long way in our world. People want to be respected, but in order to be respected you must show respect first.
I have actually had children tell me that they did not respect me because I did not show them respect. Respect goes both ways. When a child walks into a classroom and immediately disrupts the class because of their loudness, they are showing disrespect to the teacher and the class as a whole. The old adage “children should be seen and not heard”. Is not something I agree with. But I do believe that all children should be taught when to wait their turn and how to be respectful when others are speaking. At the same time, I realize that there are too many adults who do not give children credit when they have something to say. As adults, we do need to show our children respect for the same things we expect them to show us respect for.
It is up to you, as the parent, to teach your child(ren) about respect. Showing respect does not mean that you canÂ’t do your own thing. It does not mean that you are weak. It does not mean that you have to go along with the crowd. Respect simply means that you are willing to consider someone elseÂ’s feelings, opinion, or position on an issue. It means that you do not wish to do mean or harmful things to that person.
When you show others respect, most times they will return the favor.
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