How to raise a respectful child.

_{[AD. This is a contributed post.]} One core moral value to teach children is respect - the act of being courteous towards others, leaving judgement at the door, and welcoming people in need of support. As we grow older we learn more about offering respect through meeting new people, communicating and understanding worldly struggles, but as a child it can often be confusing and complicated. So, in this guide from a senior school in Surrey, we look at the ways to explore teaching respect to your child without it being daunting.

_{[Photo by Senjuti Kundu on Unsplash]}

How to raise a respectful child.

Demonstrate respective behaviour.

Our children tend to follow what we do a lot more than we think. With that in mind, give your child ways to focus on their behaviour by modelling positive attitude and kindness, that all build a level of respect. When feeling negative towards someone, aim to retain your feelings when in front of your child and show them that bad feelings can be handled appropriately.

Praise your child for good behaviour.

Good behaviour means your child has been following in your footsteps well, and should be rewarded for it. This doesn’t mean that you should only praise your child for doing good work, but also praise them for doing their best and being engaged in activities, managing their friendships well, and offering support where they think they can help. Even being polite in a restaurant or to someone they bump into can really show how your child has developed positive behaviour.

Show your child how to respond to people politely.

Part of this will come from reinforcing to your child how to be polite. In a range of scenarios you can teach your child to pick up respectful responses, like saying thank you after receiving something. Remind them to say please whenever they’re asking for something, and show them that even the little comments can make someone’s day - like telling someone to have a good day at the end of their conversation.