Teaching Child Respect and Respect for Parent
Teaching Child Respect - Article on Respect
Parenting Question and Answer
Teaching child respect has been an issue for my son and I. For the past two years, we have lived at my mother's house while I worked and saved up enough money to move back out on my own after a devastating divorce. The entire time I was staying with her, my mother treated me with disrespect and now, my son treats me this way too. How do instill a sense of respect for parent?
Mother of a Disrespectful Kid
For the past two years, your son has learned a lack of respect for parent as modeled by your mother. The first thing you need to do is talk to her. Cite the ways in which she's treated you with disrespect and link this to how your son is treating you. Help her to see the connection—how she's taught him to treat you with disrespect.
Next, distance yourself from your mother while you help your son unlearn what she has taught him. This will be the period that you focus on teaching child respect. I devote quite a bit of space to this in my book Keepers of the Children. I won't repeat the information here, but be aware that one of the most important things you can do to gain your child's respect is to show respect for child. This is called modeling and is a powerful way to teach your son many things.
Of course another equally important method of teaching child respect is to make sure you're worthy of it. This means you must be there for your child during the tough times, during the struggles as well as the fun and happy moments. If you are able to guide your child through difficulties, he will naturally look up to you and treat you with respect. As you're teaching him how to treat you, remember that there is no magic bullet: teaching child respect is a process. It is going to take some time for him to learn to treat you differently.
Once you and your child are solid in your relationship, allow your mother back into your life with the provision that she will treat you as an individual who is worthy of respect. Showing her how your son treats you with respect will command her respect. In this way, three generations of your family can learn how to treat each other with care, respect and kindness.
About the author: Laura Ramirez is the author of the award-winning book, Keepers of the Children. If you want are interested in methods of teaching child respect check out her book. Laura has a degree in psychology, teaches parenting classes online and lives with her husband and two children in the sage-dotted foothills of Northern Nevada.
Copyright © 2006 by Laura Ramirez. All rights reserved. This article may not be copied in full or in part without the express written consent of the author, however, you may link to it from your web site, blog or forum or share the web address with a friend. teaching child respect