Teaching Your Child to Respect Others

Children need to learn early that there are certain boundaries, and teaching them with love and careful thought your child can develop a healthy sense of respect for others.

A child is to be taught respect by their parents and the word "no" is one of the first words a child understands.

By following a few simple guidelines your child should learn respect long before they are school age. Children forget just as adults do, however they really do want to please their parents.

Beginning when your child is a toddler, they may say and do things that are not proper and may even seem "cute," but be careful how you react on those occasions. By getting a positive reaction from you they will continue to exhibit bad behavior.

By using the proper words and tone of voice your child will understand that you are displeased with what they have said or done. Be consistent and follow through with discipline, your child must learn that some acts of behavior will not be tolerated.

Discipline does not have to be harsh, depending on their age, it can be a tap on the hand for a toddler or "time out" for an older child. Always follow discipline with words of love and an explanation of why they should not behave in that manner.

Teach your child that to interrupt when you or others are speaking is impolite. This can be done by softly reminding them that they must wait for their turn to speak. You must make an opening for them in a short time, thus teaching them how to determine the proper time to make a comment.

As soon as your child is able to hold a spoon and can feed themselves it is time to begin teaching table manners. Show them how to hold their fork and spoon properly, how to drink from a glass or cup, and to use a napkin.

By teaching your child manners at home you can be proud of their behavior away from home. Even a very young child can be taught not to disrupt at the dinner table.

According to the age of the child they should be also be taught to say "please" and 'thank you." However you should not force an extremely shy child to speak, those words of thanks will come as the child matures. Praise your child when they exhibit good manners and if they forget, gently remind them as discreetly as possible, it is not wise to reprimand your child in front of others.

You cannot expect your child to practice good manners if you don't serve as a positive role model yourself. Children learn from observation, they are with their parents more than anyone else, so it is up to you to teach them to be respectful.