Unfortunately, the one lesson that many children could afford to learn is about respect. Some children grow up throwing temper tantrums, hitting, biting, talking back, and kicking, which are certainly not acceptable behaviors. When a two-parent family suddenly becomes a one-parent family, a normal quiet child may begin to show signs of disrespect of a child already struggling with respect may become much worse. Although you need to put a stop to this, you also want to be careful that you understand your child’s feelings and needs during this difficult time.
I have personally watched kids that seem immune to things such as spankings or time-outs. Teaching a child respect can be challenging depending on the situation. However, the first step is for you to be respectful to other people and to your child. By watching your actions, your child will learn. In addition, you need to help your child understand that disrespect comes with negative consequences. For instance, your son or daughter would need to be taught that if a sibling’s toys are not respected or the child talks back to you out of disrespect, then that child is going to lose privileges.
I remember when I was 13. I came from a difficult home and so I had little respect for either parent. The one thing I was involved with was competitive roller-skating. Every week, I spent hours upon hours learning new moves and hanging out with friends. One particular day, my mom told me that I was to be home by 5:00 p.m. She made sure I had a ride and went about her day.
Well, I wanted to stay longer so I disrespected her and I stayed until 6:00 p.m., arriving home around 6:30 p.m. Keep in mind that we did not have cell phones at that time but a dime would have let me call home, which I did not do. My punishment for being disrespectful and not obeying was that I was not allowed to skate the next weekend’s competition. I can tell you that I honestly thought I would die but I never did that again!
The point is that teaching respect must also come with consequences. If your child were planning to stay overnight at a friend’s house, go to a birthday party, or something else, but he or she decides to be disrespectful of the house rules, you need to hit home by taking a privilege away. Just as with me, you can be sure your child will be very upset but you can also be sure the child will learn. Respect is a valuable characteristic that should be instilled in your child. This process takes time and you making some difficult decisions in the end, you will have a child that respects you, other adults, other kids, and authority figures.
Teaching Your Toddler to Mind Their Ps & Qs – Seriously!