If you are a parent, what do you think would be the best gift for your child? Is it the best of toys and games or the finest clothing? Well, unarguably, one of the biggest gifts or abilities you can give your children is the right values and ethics, which, if clubbed with the right education and growth opportunities, can do wonders for your child.
While a lot is spoken about teaching life skills and values like empathy, team spirit, etc., to kids, not much is talked about the value of teaching kids to be respectful toward others. The fact is that it is an undervalued life skill that contributes massively towards one’s success. From excelling in managing personal relationships to acing workplace relations, being excellent at this one life skill can help your children become their best version.
We at The Star Global School, ranked among the best schools in Rohtak, Haryana, understand the importance of raising respectful children, and thus we make all necessary efforts at our school to inculcate this value in all our students. If you’re trying to raise respectful children at home, we recommend following the below-mentioned tips:
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Model Respectful Behavior
Words are powerful, but actions have a greater impact on kids’ minds. They prefer learning by example than simply following what is said. Hence, if you want your children to treat everyone respectfully, you must lead by example. The easiest way is to model respectful behavior by being mindful of your interactions with others.
For example, if you get frustrated with repeated sales calls from an agent, politely ask them not to make further calls instead of yelling at them. When children see their parents being polite and respectful towards others during everyday social interactions, they learn the same.
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Encourage Empathy
Simply put, empathy is the ability to understand and share others’ feelings. By encouraging empathy, you teach kids to develop a deep respect for others’ emotions and feelings. The most practical way is by teaching them to put themselves in others’ shoes.
For example, if your kid’s sibling is feeling upset, make your kid understand how they would feel in a similar situation. It makes children more aware and responsive, which indirectly helps them grow as an individual.
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Teach Conflict Resolution Skills
A skill that we at The Star Global School highly recommend parents to teach their kids is conflict resolution. Whether it’s a kid or a grown-up, conflicts will always be a natural part of life at different stages. By teaching children the effective ways of respectfully resolving conflicts, you prepare them to deal with the real-life world, the associated problems, and people.
Make kids realize that listening to others while expressing their own needs is the best way to resolve conflicts because it creates a win-win situation for everyone involved. For example, if your kids fight with their friends over a toy, teach them to take turns playing instead of fighting over it.
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Set Clear Expectations
Kids don’t understand right and wrong behavior at a young age, so parents must step up and communicate well-defined expectations. It makes it easier to understand what is expected of them, giving them the much-needed guidance. For example, you can teach your kids that disrespecting teachers is unacceptable behavior and outline the consequences they might face while doing so. When children are aware of certain expectations/guidelines, they tend to follow them. Parents can create their set of expectations they feel might help raise respectful children.
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Use Positive Language
A method we use religiously at The Star Global School is using positive language. Since our words impact kids, especially how they view themselves and others around them, we tend to take them more seriously. Instead of using negative language or phrases like ‘Don’t act like a baby,’ ‘good kids don’t cry,’ etc., use more positive language to encourage positive or respectful behavior. For example, instead of criticizing a kid for performing a certain task incorrectly, guide them by using language like ‘Let’s try it this way.’
Conclusion
We at The Star Global School, one of the top schools in Rohtak, firmly believe that while raising respectful children could be a challenging task, it can surely be achieved with the right guidance. You can follow plenty of ways to get visible results, but we recommend starting with the tips mentioned above. These are practical methods that every parent can follow and expect excellent results in return.