All parents hope to raise a respectful child; a youngster who follows the rules, looks after their own and other people’s belongings, and is kind and polite. Of course, teaching them good manners is a great place to start, but there are plenty of other ways to instil respect. Read on for some advice from a private school in Middlesex.
Explore the Differences Between Right and Wrong
Many parents are guilty of punishing their children for doing something wrong without explaining why it’s wrong in the first place. If your child shouts at you, let them know that they are being disrespectful, rather than just putting them on a phone ban or sending them to their room. If they throw their toys, point out that they should respect their belongings, otherwise they will break them. Likewise, be sure to point out when your child has behaved in a way you approve of, as praise is just as important as punishment, if not more so.
Teach Your Child Coping Mechanisms
Your child may act out and behave disrespectfully if they are unsure of how else to solve a problem or cope with a situation. With this in mind, it’s important to help your child learn some better ways of dealing with things. For example, if they are losing a board game and started to get frustrated, throwing a temper tantrum won’t help. You could say something like “I can see that you’re getting annoyed with the game, so why don’t you go into another room and take a few deep breaths to calm down”. If they are angry and ranting about something a friend has done at school, teach them to have compassion by suggesting that perhaps their friend is struggling with something personal and that’s the reason why they behaved the way they did.
Stay True to Your Word
If you have told your child that they have to tidy their room or they won’t be allowed to watch television, stay true to your word. Your child will not respect the rules, or you, if you let them get away with certain behaviour. Sticking to your word also promotes honesty and integrity, which are also important elements of respect.
Of course, these suggestions merely scratch the surface when it comes to teaching your child to be respectful. You should also explore gratitude within your home so that they start to learn to respect and appreciate what other people do for them on a daily basis. You could also encourage them to get involved with the community so that they learn the importance of being kind and helpful to those less fortunate.