Teaching Respect to Your Kids

I’ve recently been given a copy of a great parenting book. It is Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World by author, Jill Rigby. Some great principles and practical tips on building character in our children. In her first chapter she discusses the terms self-esteem and self-respect. “Many people use the words self-esteem and self-respect synomymously, but, Jill says, the two are worlds apart. When we seek to help kids feel good about themselves which is the goal of self-esteem, we teach them to focus on themselves and how THEY feel and what THEY want. When children grow up with this training, their perspective on the world is that it is all about me. These kids have an unbalanced view of life. And they often live by the motto: “I want it and I want it now.” Kids with this kind of attitude are exhibiting self-confidence. They are exhibiting instead, self-conceit. A view of themselves that they are superior to others. And that others don’t really count. But when we help kids to focus instead on self-RESPECT. We teach them to value others and how others feel and what others need. As a country, we have spent 40 years mastering the teaching of self-esteem, and we have raised children who are more disrespectful than other country. I believe that it is time for us as Christian parents to turn this ship around.

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