Expect the same from kids tomorrow, what you teach today
Many challenges come with raising kids these days. It is hard to keep them from being glued to screens or constantly on their phones, and the respect for parents and elders seems to be quickly disappearing as well.
Respect for elders starts with care in general. If you want to raise kids who respect their elders, it is important to respect them yourself. This post will discuss eight tips that can help you increase your children with respect for elders to make the world a better place!
Why do children tend to grow without respect for elders?
There are many reasons that children grow up without respect for elders. Parents may be too busy to spend time with their kids, so they do not teach them respect, or maybe the parents have forgotten what it is like to be a child because of all the responsibilities they face as adults.
The fact remains that there will always be some people who feel entitled and believe they know more than everyone else, but this does not mean we should accept this behavior in young children. It can lead to problems later on if you don''t address this issue at an early age! Here are the eight keys to evade that!
1. Tell kids that without respecting elders, there isn''t success.
Whether your goal is raising good citizens or helping your kid get into college - respect must play a part somewhere along the line! In general, consideration is given to people of high power and authority. If your kids respect you, chances are they will respect their teachers when they get older - something that everyone should be striving for!
2. Help children learn about the world by asking questions.
Kids aren''t always going to agree with what adults have to say, but it is essential to develop open-mindedness in children as early as possible. Their brains are still growing at a young age, so make sure not to judge them too quickly if they disagree with something you think is right! Please keep an open dialogue between both parties and guide them towards new perspectives. The earlier we teach our kids these lessons, the better off we''ll all be later down the road!
3. Teach respect for elders through storytelling
Stories are an essential part of childhood. There''s something about opening up to a world that isn''t our own, learning from someone else''s mistakes, and taking on their knowledge as if you were them yourself! An excellent way for kids to respect elders is through storytelling, where they learn how different people in the past have developed into who they are today. Ask children what type of stories interest them most, or establish your Storytime idea based on respect and listening!
4. Use language-development activities.
For respect to work both ways, we need communication between all parties involved - adults included! Using fun yet straightforward strategies like name tags can clarify who should be speaking at which times, especially when there might not always be one explicit adult in charge. Name tags are a great way to respect elders and develop language by teaching kids who should be speaking at what times!
5. Respect for Elders Through Music
Music is an excellent form of communication that can get across respect and love, excitement, or any other feeling you might have towards another person. Get outside your comfort zone with songs like ''Old MacDonald Had a Farm'' and find ways to add to the song while playing instruments together or adding dance moves. These activities don''t need to be limited just because children''s music only plays during certain hours - turn it into family jam time anytime!
6. Be their role model.
Respecting your elders doesn''t just mean calling them ''sir'' or ''ma''am,'' it means treating everyone from the cashier at the grocery store to all of your friends like they deserve respect. If you respect others, then your kids will respect those around them as well. This is especially important in school and with other authority figures such as teachers and coaches!
7. Don''t punish your child severely when they''re disrespectful.
This is a big one for kids: respect or disrespect. The problem is, they''re only children once in their lifetime and aren''t always able to control themselves when they feel that emotional outburst of anger coming on. It''s important not to punish them severely because it may look like you are punishing them just for being human! If they disrespect elders, stay calm and control them by talking about their disappointment with their behavior. In this way, they''ll start to grow with respect for elders initially to gain a good name from you.
8. Respect your child so that they''ll respect you and others
If you wish your child to grow with respect for elders, you need to respect your children first. If you treat your child disrespectfully, this might cause them to dislike adults. This is one of the most common reasons behind children acting disrespectful. Please do not yell at your child, often disagree with them, disappreciate them, etc. All these signs will overall affect their impression of adults. So, to help them treat elders with respect, make them feel worthy and loved.
Final thoughts
As you can see, respect for elders isn''t that difficult to achieve. You just need to be aware of the consequences and act accordingly when they do something disrespectful. Please do not yell at your child or punish them harshly because this will diminish their respect over time. Take it slow and make it work!