As a parent, you are always the best person that can build a strong foundation of manners for your child. A child can easily learn and maintain good manners when young. That is why you need to use the following tips on teaching your child how to be respectful. Respect is a necessity that your child needs to learn and exercise every day.
1. Be the role model
Your behaviors heavily affect your child’s life, especially during his/her childhood. You are always close to the child and this puts you in a good position for the child to note and copy your behaviors. That is why you need to always be polite and respectful whenever you are around him/her.
Your respect will also need to be extended from your home to the whole community. In this way, the child will learn to be respectful not only to the family but also the whole community at large. Let the people always see you when they look at your child.
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2. Start the teachings early enough
This starts with the way you talk to your child. Let your little angel begin hearing polite words from her young age. The child will learn using the words even if they are not totally understandable to him/her. Your child learns to call you mom or dad even before he/she can even define that name. This should be the same case for words like “thank you” and “I’m sorry”.
Also start correcting any bad manners at the early stage of your child’s life and let this be a habit throughout. Get used to encouraging good behaviors and let them replace the bad ones.
3. Remain polite when correcting the child
Being polite does not make you weak. Your child actually sees it as total care and concern. Pointing out a mistake in a polite manner will make the child want to not disappoint you again. He/she will always avoid repeating the same mistake and this will lead to overall politeness from the child.
Your child needs to feel valued and wants to see you feeling proud of having him/her. Calm corrections will be taken as a need for improvement and not regrets for having the child. It shows that you are always in your own control and the child will learn to be in control of her own self just like you.
4. Be a parent and not a friend
You can tolerate a tease from your friend because you know the friend knows how to not step beyond borders. Your child is still young and should not be treated in the same manner. That is why you need to always discourage any disrespectful behavior whenever it comes from him/her.
Let the child learn what is good and bad from you. Avoid being the friend that can tolerate some mistakes just because you don’t want to disappoint the child. Be more of a coach and not just a playmate.
5. Be united with your partner in this
Teaching your child to be respectful becomes easier if you and your partner are going in the same rhythm. If you are teaching that fighting is bad, let your partner know that and also teach the same. The double input will create emphasis to the child.
Quarrels or disagreements between the two of you should also not be done in front of the child. Let the kid only see and pick peace and unity between the two of you.
6. Instill basic skills of interaction to the child
Let the way of engagement with others come from you. Teach your child how to interact with others without hurting them. In case your child causes any misunderstanding unintentionally, let him/her know how to apologize and prevent any more trouble.
The basic skills that need to be taught are so easy and letting the child know how to use words like “excuse me” is all part of it. They are among the life skills that you should let your child learn from you.
7. Let the child learn to listen
Listening helps in avoiding arguments. Your child needs to learn how to listen attentively and act accordingly. Let him/her know how to take turns in conversations. Teach the importance of listening and not assuming people. The lessons can be grabbed better if your acting is the same as your saying.
Eye contact is necessary in conversations and the child should learn this. Let him/her face you when talking and discourage any unnecessary activities during lessons.
8. Encourage the child to politely speak up what is in his/her mind
This is more important when you are teaching your child some manners. If the child has done something wrong and you are talking about it, let the child speak her mind and feel liberated. This will create room for learning and even feeling what you are talking about.
Letting your child speak allows him/her to learn that there are other ways of solving a certain issue. This also helps the child to avoid feeling depressed and pressured from all sides.
9. Wait till the both of you are calm
Exerting pressure on a full blown balloon makes it burst. That’s the same thing that happens to the emotions of your child when pressured too much. The child feels hated and unwanted. Waiting until the both of you are calm enough ensures that the correct language is used and everything is properly comprehended by the child.
Waiting until you are both calm also helps you avoid doing things that would be harmful to the child. You are able to speak your mind straight and without showing hostility.
10. Teach more love than conditions
If your child learns loving others, he/she will remain disciplined. The child will not like hurting others and will end up exercising love to everyone. This will also make the child have the ability to accept consequences as hurting other people’s feelings will be interpreted as wrong doing.
Trying to make your child always do everything respectfully because you are demanding will end up hurting her. This is an unnecessary pressure that will always make the child do the opposite of your demands whenever you are not around. This will end up making your child even more disrespectful whenever you not near.
