8 Best Ways to Teach Your Child Kindness And Respect
Kindness, respect, and compassion are integral to healthy child development. These values help children develop trust, empathy, and positive personal relationships with others. In addition to these being important ideals for children to grow into as adults, instilling these values early also has many long-term health benefits for kids. Research shows that teenagers or young adults who demonstrate high levels of kindness, respect, and compassion are less prone to anxiety, depression, or substance abuse later in life.
The same holds true for people who show a willingness to aid others or go above and beyond to help someone in need. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that these three personality traits are the most important predictors of a fulfilled adult life. You can instill kindness, respect, and compassion in your child by using the following strategies:
1. Establish a Culture of Respect at Home
The manner in which you treat others and interact with your family members sends a strong signal about the kind of behavior your child should expect to see. If you are harsh or abusive towards your spouse or other family members, your child will likely see this and learn that such behavior is acceptable. There are many ways to show respect in your home. You can start by respecting the opinions of your child. As they grow, they need space and opportunity to try things on their own.
Give them the chance to make mistakes, but also provide them with guidance and feedback. You can also show respect to your spouse by respecting their opinions and desires. This can mean anything from showing up a few minutes late without providing an explanation to giving your spouse the space to calmly discuss their needs at any given time.
2. Be An Example of Good Behavior
Children are more likely to adopt the behaviors of their parents than anyone else. This means that you are your child’s first and most influential teacher. If your child sees you often being impatient, rude, or inconsiderate, they will likely grow up with the same traits. If they see you behaving in a respectful, kind, and thoughtful manner, they are far more likely to adopt similar traits. However, being an example of good behavior is more than just living your values. It also requires you to be self-aware.
You need to be aware of your behavior and know when you’re falling short. This can often be one of the hardest aspects of raising your child with kindness, respect, and compassion. It takes self-awareness, intentionality, and growth to be the person you want to be for your child.
3. Help your child develop social skills.
Social skills are important but often overlooked. Helping your child develop skills that promote kindness, respect and compassion will go a long way toward helping them fit into any social group. Teaching your child how to greet others and have good eye contact is a great way to start.
You can help them develop their ability to listen and empathize with other people by playing games where they have to listen to the stories of others. Finally, you can help your child develop positive ways to respond to conflict or stress. Teach them how to meditate, keep a journal or use other healthy ways of dealing with their emotions.
4. Ensure your child understands their part in creating a culture of kindness and respect.
This is a great chance to discuss how two seemingly harmless things can be hurtful. For example, if your child is often late, discuss how this might make someone else feel. What if every time they were late, it was due to a lack of consideration for another person? How might that make someone else feel?
You can also discuss situations where your child might be the victim of inconsiderate or disrespectful behavior. Help your child understand that they have the right to feel heard. They have the right to ask for what they need, and they have the right to stand up for themselves.
5. Help your child understand and practice self-respect.
Self-respect is an important part of kindness, respect, and compassion. It enables children to know that everyone is worthy of respect and deserving of dignity. It also helps them realize that they have a say in their own actions. Self-respect encourages your child to know when to stand up for what they believe in and when to ask for help.
To help instill a sense of self-respect in your child, you can discuss ways they can respect their body. You can also ask them to list ways they can help others feel comfortable and welcome. Finally, you can help your child come up with a code of personal conduct. This is a list of ways they can show compassion and respect towards themselves and others.
6. Help your child develop empathetic skills.
This is essentially the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It helps your child understand the emotions and reactions of others and respond appropriately. You can help your child develop their empathetic skills by talking about the feelings of those around them. Empathy is best practiced when your child is in a calm emotional state.
This means that when your child is angry, frustrated, or stressed, they will likely have a difficult time being empathetic. To help your child develop empathy, discuss times when they have been upset. Ask them to think about how they felt, and help them see how someone else might be feeling the same.
7. Have frequent conversations around empathy, respect, and compassion.
Educate your child on the value of kindness, respect, and compassion. Discuss how society has changed and how many children are growing up without these important values. Explain how this is impacting their ability to make friends and succeed in school. This will create an open and ongoing dialogue where you can also field questions and respond to the newest curiosities your child might have.
You can also use this as an opportunity to discuss how your child can go out of their way to help others. This can include things like holding open the door for a person behind them or helping someone carry a heavy item.
8. Help your child learn how to respond with compassion in difficult situations.
As your child grows, they will inevitably face difficult situations. They might be bullied by their peers, have family members pass away, or experience other traumatic events. Whether these situations occur in your home or in your child’s social environment, they need to know how to respond. This will likely be a natural progression from the way you have been teaching your child to respond to others.
However, you can also have open discussions about the kinds of situations your child might find themselves in. You can discuss what they might feel, what they might want and how they can go out of their way to respond with kindness and compassion.
Conclusion
These values mentioned above are integral to child and teen development. They can also have long-term positive health benefits. Kindness, respect, and compassion can be instilled by establishing a culture of respect in the home. Parents must start by being an example of good behavior and helping their children develop social skills, and guiding them toward understanding how to respond to others with compassion in difficult situations. It is important to have frequent conversations about empathy, respect, and compassion. Visit Parentalmastery.com for more information, tips, and advice on how to help your children grow and develop qualities of kindness, respect, and compassion.