How to raise a respectful child

Respecting others is an important life skill that your child should learn from a very young age. It’s a parent’s worst nightmare to know that their child is rude or unkind to others, but you will need to teach them how to be a good human being – and it won’t happen overnight. If you’re wondering where to start, I have teamed up with a pre-prep school in Hampshire to share some advice.

Teach your child good manners

It goes without saying that you will need to remind your child to say please and thank you, ask permission before using/taking something that doesn’t belong to them, and offer a helping hand where appropriate. However, manners aren’t just about the way your child speaks to others, it can also be shown through their actions. Encourage them to open/hold the door for people and listen when they are being spoken to, amongst other things. 

Give them chores to do at home

Asking your child to help you around the house will teach them the importance of supporting others and not expect someone else to do everything for them. If they can see how much time and effort goes into maintaining a family home, they will also start to respect and appreciate you more. 

Help your child understand equality

Teach your child that no two people are the same, but they should be treated as equals regardless. For instance, someone might have different religious beliefs to your child, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to be respected. Remind your child that they should treat people the way they wish to be treated. 

Teach them how to resolve conflict effectively

Sometimes when two people disagree on something, their manners can slip, and they forget to behave respectfully. During arguments, people sometimes shout, swear and say nasty things. You should teach your child that this type of behaviour will not help them resolve conflict; behaving unfavourably rarely gets you anywhere. Explain to your child that they can still get their point across without yelling or being unkind. 

Be a good role model

When teaching your child how to behave, actions speak louder than words. If you’re trying to teach your child that they should always be kind to others, you will confuse them if you then proceed to behave disrespectfully to someone. Try and model respectful behaviour as best you can.