"Respect is one of the most (if not the most) important attributes for society to maintain, yet it is hard to define. On its broadest level respect is the acknowledgment that someone has value. They may be rich, work very hard, or may simply treat everyone in a way that gives them value. The importance on this value is that it changes peoples reactions towards you, usually in a positive way. A person is more likely to treat you nicely if you do what is asked of you instead of arguing with them. It is the value you earned while doing what you were told that has lead the person to respect you and therefore treat you nicely."
This is probably one of the best definitions I have found on respect, at least for a family environment. Teaching my children that I respect them and that is why I discipline them is a hard task. It is the truth though.
As a teenager, I thought that my parent's should respect me. My decisions were obviously correct for me because I had made them. I failed to see what they saw. As a parent of teenagers I have come to realize they actually had more respect for me than I did. You see, they valued my life while I simply wanted what I wanted. A spoiled brat!
I believed that everyone should bow down to my decisions when it came to myself. Who else was a better judge of what I needed then me? Who else would care for me the way I did? Who else would protect me more then myself?
As an adult it is easy to look back and answer those questions. As a teenager it is impossible to understand that my father was the best choice. He would have laid down his own life to protect me and he still would to this day.
I just wonder is it completely impossible to get a teenager to understand that respect doesn't mean backing down and letting them have their way. Respect is showing love to others, guiding by example, and discipline when they need it.
How do you show respect to your children?
