How to Teach Your Young Child to Respect Others

One of the most important things you can do for your child is to teach him how to respect other people.  While this will have great benefits for you, as it will help you to better relate with your child, it will also instill a positive attribute in your child that will help him throughout life.

To Teach Respect, Show Respect

The only way to teach your child respect is to show respect.  This means demonstrating this attribute yourself by the way you treat your family and other people you come in contact with.  Children are very impressionable and will look to you for guidance even when you don’t think that they are paying attention.  They will take their cues from the people they are around the most.  Model the behaviors you want them to have.

Reinforce Positive Behavior

It is important to praise your child when they are behaving in a positive manner.  At the same time, it is equally important to correct their behavior if they are showing disrespect, whether at home, in school or in the playground.  Remember to set an example.  When correcting your child, do it in a way that is not demeaning.  Let them know how their behavior was disrespectful and how the situation could have been handled better.

Remember that your preteen child is still learning how to express himself.  They are at an age between childhood and learning adult behaviors. Your son or daughter may not know how to let you know that they are upset, tired, frustrated, or sad.

Again, you can help them develop the appropriate way to express themselves by setting a positive example yourself. Rewarding your child when he is expressing himself with respect to those around him will reinforce positive behavior.

Learning Respect Will Help Your Child Succeed in Life

Children who learn respect from a young age are able to adapt to new situations better than those who are restricted by poor behavior.  Your child will get along better with his elders, peers, teachers and, eventually, his workmates, if he learns how to treat people as he would like to be treated himself. 

Children with a positive attitude tend to be more responsible.  They also often develop other attributes such as compassion and empathy that will help them with many different types of relationships.

The Importance of Self Respect

You will find it difficult to teach your child respect unless they have a sense of self-respect.  Teaching your son about dignity and integrity will help them to understand why it is so important to treat others well.  Self-respect will allow your son to keep his head high even when the inevitable failures in life happen.  He will then be able to show compassion when others are dealing with their own issues.

The time and effort you put into teaching your son about respect will help him live life with more confidence, while, at the same time, showing empathy.  Create a sense of independence in him while ensuring that he always keeps others in mind.