The thought that our children are disrespectful to others is a nightmare for most parents. We all want to raise kind-hearted, well-mannered kids whom we can be proud of, but respect isn’t something they’re born with. You will need to teach them how to behave respectfully and ensure that you are a good role model to them, so that they can learn appropriate ways to conduct themselves in different situations. Read on for some advice from senior school in Surrey.
Treat People the Way You Wish to Be Treated
This is an age-old concept that parents should most certainly explore with their children. Explain to them that if they want to be treated with respect, they will have to behave respectfully themselves. If they behave unfavourably, ask them how they would feel if someone treated them that way. This should help them empathise and think about how their actions affect others going forward.
Help Your Child with their Communication Skills
Teach your child how to have a pleasant and respectful conversation. Remind them to say please and thank you and explain that interrupting someone when they are talking is rude. You should also help them understand basic pleasantries, such as asking people how they are or how their weekend went and paying people compliments. This will all take a lot of practice, so be patient with your child and if their manners slip up, don’t be hard on them. Just gently remind them where they went wrong.
Teach Your Child the Difference Between Right and Wrong
Sometimes, parents are guilty of punishing their children for doing something wrong without explain why. This won’t help your child learn. If they scream and shout when you’re in the supermarket, sit them down after when they have calmed down and explain why that behaviour is unacceptable. Remind them that shouting at people is disrespectful, and that’s why they are being punished. Likewise, praise your child when they do something right. For instance, you could say something like “I’m really proud of you for sharing your toys with your friend today, that was very kind of you so well done”.
Nice manners and good communication skills are such assets in childhood and adulthood.
Respect is a learnt process – so important to teach our young