Showing your child how to be respectful from an early age is an important way to ensure they are honest, courteous, and compassionate towards others. Read on for some tips from a senior school in London.
Focus on Manners
The more you remind your child to say please and thank you, the more likely they are to remember their manners on their own. However, manners extend further than how they speak to others, it’s also about being helpful and polite, such as holding a door for someone or offering to carry their bags if they’re struggling. Having good manners and being courteous is key to being respectful.
Praise Respectful Behaviour
Parents often spend too much time punishing their children for bad behaviour and too little time praising them for the good. But your child is far more likely to respond well and follow your guidance if they have been given positive feedback. With that said, be sure to praise them when they’ve demonstrated respectful behaviour.
Encourage Socialisation
As with most things, practise makes perfect, so encourage your child to socialise so that they can practise being respectful to others. Teach them to share and take turns with their friends and siblings and show them how to have a positive conversation with others by asking questions such as “How are you?”. Not only will this help your child learn how to respect others, it will also help them with their confidence.
Be a Good Role Model
Children learn much of their behaviour by observing their parents and other influential people around them. With this in mind, try and be a good role model and demonstrate the type of behaviour you want to see reflected in them. Don’t let them hear you shouting at a customer service advisor on the phone or being rude to a waitress if they mess up your order.
