DON'T GET NO RESPECT

Photo source:  Getty Images/Vetta 

Yesterday I read a very disturbing account of a 10 year old boy who was caught throwing rocks at cars driving by.  The police were called and while trying to get information, the boy kept walking away and refusing to cooperate.  It wasn't long before he got really fed up and started mouthing off at the police woman.  She put handcuffs on him.  That really set him off.  "Why are you putting cuffs on me, you ###@@@##ing pig?"  "Because you are throwing rocks at cars!" 

The cussing with many F-bombs was continuous.  All the while this was going on the boy's mother was videoing the whole event.  Instead of stepping in to stop her son being so incredibly rude and out of control, all the mother did was say that this video was going up on Facebook to show what the police were doing to her precious, [disgustingly-behaved] son. I am not sure if she realized that the evidence would show those who saw it what a bad job she had done raising her son.  All in all it was a shocking display of bad manners by the mother and son. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

WHERE DOES DISRESPECT START?

a) I have heard parents say some terrible things to their kids and I am sure you have also.  The 
    children feel hurt and often just copy their parents in hurting others.  They feel it's OK.
b) When parents show disrespect towards authority, kids will do the same.  
c) When there is a sense of entitlement, it causes a lack of respect, and frustration when people 
    cannot get what they want.  They often lash out, steal or destroy.  
d) When there are no boundaries, kids fail to learn what respect for others means.

It is not up to the school system to teach children what being respectful means.  Sure, there are consequences in place at school when disrespect is demonstrated, but it is not appropriate for kids to only learn the hard way, especially when there is a lack of role modelling at home.

HOW YOUNG CAN KIDS LEARN TO BE RESPECTFUL?

Yesterday I watched my 4 and 5 year old grandsons at Tae Kwon Do.  The master sure taught them respect.  He stood no nonsense at all and as soon as they put a foot wrong he corrected them straight away by issuing a consequence.  I didn't know that such little children could sit still and not move at all for 3 minutes and yet they all did it.  When ever he spoke to them, they had to call loudly, "Yes, Sir!"  There was certainly order in the class.

We need to respect one another.  That means we speak kindly, think of others before ourselves and look for ways to make others' lives more enjoyable.  We need to teach our kids the importance of giving and let them experience the feeling of joy in seeing others feeling valued.

WHAT DOES RESPECT GET YOU?

a)  Respect in return
b)  Good friends
c)  Others' trust
d)  Job security
e)  Respectful, happy kids and a peaceful home

Written by Sally Burgess, Forefront Families