How to Raise a Respectful Child

Your child isn’t born knowing that they need to treat people with respect, that’s something that they must learn. Being respectful of others will help your youngster to develop positive relationships with everyone around them, from their friends and family to their peers and teachers. With that said, you might be wondering what you can do to raise a respectful child. I have teamed up with a girls’ school in London to share some tips to get you started. 

Teach Your Child to Listen

When conversing with someone, listening is just as important as talking. Interrupting someone is disrespectful and implies that you don’t value the other person’s thoughts and opinions. So, teach your child to listen – they will get their chance to speak eventually. 

Promote an Open Mind

Even adults can struggle to be open-minded, but it’s another important part of respect. If your child is judgemental and intolerant, they won’t be able to respect diversity. With this in mind, try and teach your child to have an open mind and treat people with kindness regardless of their differences. This could refer to physical differences like ethnicity, age, or gender, or it could refer to difference of opinion or views. 

Insist on Good Manners

You’re probably already doing this but be sure to remind your child to say please and thank you, as well as excuse me and pardon me, until they remember on their own. Good manners are cornerstone to a respectful individual. 

Point Out Disrespectful Behaviour

Help your child understand the difference between respectful and disrespectful behaviour by pointing out to them. For instance, if you witness a customer in the supermarket shouting at the cashier, explain to your child why that behaviour is not respectful. You should point out your child’s own behaviour too, praising them when they are kind and reprimanding them when they are rude.