Inspiring Thoughts on Parenting (3)

“If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.”

Often in my years of teaching and education, I heard teachers talk about a lack of respect. They insisted students refer to them in formal ways—such as Mister or Sir—and that this inspired a respectful attitude. Over the years, I have found that those teachers who gained the respect of their students didn't insist on formal labels or titles but gained it from having a genuine respect for their students.

It seems that the gaining of respect is like the gaining of trust (which I was writing about a few blogs ago). If a person show trust in others generally that trust will be reciprocated. Similarly to gain respect we must show kindness and respect for other people.

Being considerate of our children and really listening to them with kindness, does teach them respect. Too often we, as adults, give lip service to these notions. We do not truly “walk our talk”. It is like the teachers who demand respect. Do they really get the respect they demand? I'd contend that no they do not. I'd go further to say that they don't even deserve the respect they are demanding.

Role modelling is again one of our truly effective ways of teaching our children and the way they truly learn the values we wish to pass along.