HOW TO RAISE A RESPECTFUL CHILD

People who are respectful tend to find it easier making and maintaining good relationships with others, including family members, friends, colleagues and those in positions of authority. This can help them succeed in life, whatever their goals are. The good news is there is a lot we can do as parents to encourage our children to be respectful, as explored here by a prep school in Surrey. 

Demonstrate what respect is

The best way to teach your child what respect means is to model it yourself in your daily life. Kids often imitate the way their parents behave and interact with others, so showing them how to be respectful by saying please and thank you and generally being helpful toward others will make a big impression on them. Make sure you’re also demonstrating respect toward your child and other family members. Show them that everyone is deserving of and entitled to being treated kindly and compassionately. 

Praise ideal behaviour

Rather than focusing on punishing your child for what they’ve done wrong, praise them when they show respect toward someone. If you notice them displaying good manners or acting considerately toward someone, tell them how proud you are of them. This will help reinforce respectful behaviour. Use it to start a discussion about why exactly it’s so important to treat others as we ourselves would wish to be treated. 

Practise healthy conflict resolution

It’s easy to forget that we should still respect others even if we don’t agree with something they’ve said or done – even adults can find this difficult and end up feeling angry and frustrated during debates. Teaching your child how to respond appropriately to other people’s ideas and opinions is really important for helping them maintain good relationships. We should also empower them to express their own thoughts and needs in an assertive way. You can facilitate this by practising debating within the family and making sure everyone listens carefully to others’ opinions and doesn’t interrupt. This will prepare your child for any challenging situations they might face in future. 

Encourage caring for others

You can help your child become more considerate and kind to others by getting them involved in local community volunteering or asking them to help you look after an elderly relative. This will teach them that looking out for other people should always be a priority, no matter how busy we are. It will also help them learn to be grateful for the things they have in life – grateful people tend to be more respectful and kind toward others. 

Collaboration.