Respect Is Earned and Learned

Give It To Get It. How parents can teach children R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

What You Need To Know

As American parenting shifts further from detached, adult-centric styles toward warm, child-centric approaches, some critics claim that we are raising a generation of disrespectful young people. For parents concerned that their child hasn’t learned how to respect others, here are three skills to practice:

How You Can Help

1. Lead by example. Children look to parents first to learn how to behave. If you want your third grader to be respectful, then show respect yourself. Treat other adults, from supermarket check-out cashiers to parking attendants, with courtesy. And be careful when you discuss teachers or coaches. The child who hears a parent badmouthing others will only learn to do the same with his or her peers.
2. Respect your child. There are many little moments every day when you can show respect to your third grader. It could be something as small as knocking before entering their bedroom, or simply taking care of their toys, which will teach them to value property. Or it could be something as important as listening, which will show him or her that you care about what they’re going through.
3. Discuss feelings. Children who are encouraged to express their feelings, and who learn to put their emotions into words, will be better at solving problems and resolving conflicts. Learning to recognize the emotions of others will also develop empathy and cooperation skills useful in relationships with peers at school.

For more information on teaching children about respect, please see the full article:

http://www.education.com/reference/article/teaching-children-respect/