Following on from yesterday's blog on children and respect, there is another point to make and that is that babies and children brought up with respect from an early age will realize - not when they are very young but in due course as they grow older - that respect goes both ways.
We cannot expect respect and consideration unless we are also willing to extend the same to others. This isn't something that a toddler will be ready to comprehend, but gradually as he becomes less self-centered and develops the social skills of empathy and awareness of his own impact upon those around him, your child will learn this lesson from you naturally!
Happy parenting,
Cassie
Showing posts with label respect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label respect. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2008
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Children and Respect
Children and Respect
I was struck by a comment from a new mother who bemoaned the fact that so many people were "rude" to her small baby. She complained that her baby would be gazing at some object with interest and people would get in his line of vision and try to force his attention onto something that was of interest to THEM. I thought this an insightful perspective - after all, a baby is a human being just like an adult and deserves to be treated respectfully and politely just like the rest of us.
I also suspect that the more we earn our children's respect, the more likely we are to later on be blessed with teenagers who themselves will treat us and others with respect and consideration!
Happy parenting,
Cassie
I was struck by a comment from a new mother who bemoaned the fact that so many people were "rude" to her small baby. She complained that her baby would be gazing at some object with interest and people would get in his line of vision and try to force his attention onto something that was of interest to THEM. I thought this an insightful perspective - after all, a baby is a human being just like an adult and deserves to be treated respectfully and politely just like the rest of us.
I also suspect that the more we earn our children's respect, the more likely we are to later on be blessed with teenagers who themselves will treat us and others with respect and consideration!
Happy parenting,
Cassie
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Children, manners and respect
Do we, as a society, respect children in the manner they deserve? I don't think we do. The way children are treated, even (or rather ESPECIALLY) by their carers is downright rude compared to the way adults are treated.
I know there will be plenty of exceptions to this rule, but as a general theme it is very prominent, certainly in the families I observe here in England (supposedly the home of good manners!)
At a dog event I visited the other day, which was extremely crowded, this was very noticable. People were crabby, not surprisingly, as it was absolutely packed. And all around, I could hear adults speaking to children in raised voices, angry or rude, "Stand back!" "Be careful!" "I'm sick and tired of you!" and more and more.
I noticed that there weren't any adults speaking to other adults like that. How odd....
I know there will be plenty of exceptions to this rule, but as a general theme it is very prominent, certainly in the families I observe here in England (supposedly the home of good manners!)
At a dog event I visited the other day, which was extremely crowded, this was very noticable. People were crabby, not surprisingly, as it was absolutely packed. And all around, I could hear adults speaking to children in raised voices, angry or rude, "Stand back!" "Be careful!" "I'm sick and tired of you!" and more and more.
I noticed that there weren't any adults speaking to other adults like that. How odd....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
