As we grow older it seems that there is less and less respect in the world. Along with lack of respect there seems to be a general lack of healthy fear. I do not think we should be frightened of our parents or of those in authority, but respect for others and the understanding of consequences should stop and make us think about our responses.
What does respect mean?
- To give high admiration or esteem to someone.
- To hold high regard for authority, position, possessions and living things.
- To show courteousness.
- Demonstrate respect for one another as parents - as per the points above.
- Show respect for our children - by listening to them, training them and demonstrating love without indulgence.
- Teaching our children how to respect themselves, their family, their friends and those in authority.
a) We speak kindly to one another at all times. We do not shout our fight. We listen and do not
interrupt while others are talking.
b) We do as our parents and those in authority tell us quickly and without complaining.
c) We take good care of our own property and stuff we borrow from others.
d) We are kind to animals.
When do we start training our kids about respect?
We can start from the time they are toddlers and we need to continue our training right up till the time
they leave home. It is an ongoing process.
Note:
Parental respect is lost when we disappoint our kids by being poor examples. If we shout at one
another, speak disparaging words to them, break our promises or ignore them, they have little to
respect in us.
How do we regain our kids' respect?
We need to recognize and admit when we make mistakes. We have to learn to say we are sorry
for critical words spoken in haste, or if we have administered inappropriate or inconsistent
disciplinary measures.
If we can identify what being respected feels like to us, then we will know what our kids need. If
they respect us, we can be fairly confident that they will also respect others in our absence.
Written by Sally Burgess
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