How to Encourage your Child to be Respectful

Children aren’t born with an innate urge to respect others; this is something that needs to be taught and nurtured throughout their lives. They will look to you, as their parents, for social cues on how to behave towards others, so it’s important that you are a good role model. Here are some tips from an independent boys’ school in London on how to raise a respectful child.

Remind Them of their Manners

Being polite is a basic form of respect, so teach your child to remember their manners. Prompt them to say please and thank you until they start to do it without being reminded and explain to them how important it is to be courteous to others. Reinforce this by being polite when talking directly to your child, so that they can learn from the best.

Explore Other Lifestyles

Your child needs to learn that just because people are different, it doesn’t mean they are not worthy of respect. With that in mind, help your child understand how other people live by exploring other cultures and teaching them about those less fortunate than they are. This should help them empathise and treat people the way they wish to be treated, regardless of their differences. They need to understand the importance of equality, as this will form a strong foundation of respect.

Give Your Child Some Chores

If you do everything for your child, from cooking to cleaning, they may start to develop a sense of entitlement. Have them pull their weight by giving them some chores to do around the house, so that they learn to appreciate the hard work that goes into maintaining a home. As a result, they will be more likely to respect you and your family’s belongings.

Teach Your Child How to Handle Conflict

Yelling at people and lashing out are not appropriate ways to deal with conflict, both in the home and in the real world. With that said, try and teach your child how to deal with disagreement in a calm and respectful manner. Help them manage their emotions be exploring various coping mechanisms, so if someone upsets them or makes them angry, they will be able to deal with it politely.

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