A brief essay on how to develop moral values of respect in children
Respect is a moral value that is the basis of a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life. It is a two-way process that means a person can get respect when he respects others. The present essay gives a brief on the types of respect, its benefits, and ways of development of respect.
Introduction
Respect is one of the core moral values. A person who respects others is self-disciplined, obedient and shows honour for others. He/she cares for others. People who have creditable track records in the societies are most respected.What is Respect?
Respect means giving value to someone or something. When we respect someone, we show great admiration and love to him/her. However, the meaning of respect can be different for different people.
Self-respect is the respect that we give to ourselves. Self-respect depends on how you treat yourself and how you allow others to treat you. Self-respect provides a base for all the decisions made by us. Self-respect is very important because a person with self-respect has confidence and behaves with grace, honour, and dignity. If you do not have self-respect, then nobody will respect you. All the decisions will be made without your consent, and you will have to run along with them. Also, you will have to do what is against your nature.
Respect for others is when you care, love, and respect others. Respectable behaviour for others also shows that you accept others as they are. When you respect an individual, this portrays your thinking that respects all individuals equally. Children respect their parents and elders; Students respect their teachers. So all young people must always be taught and encouraged to respect their elders in society. They are also imparted to accept the codes of conduct of society.
Respect for all is the symbol of a well-educated society. It also shows the maturity level of a society where all the people, including vulnerable populations, are respected equally. The vulnerable population includes children, senior citizens, physically and mentally challenged populations.
Respect for nature includes respect towards the things or property that are in our surroundings. People must respect their environment by using environmental resources carefully so that the resources would last longer and remain adequate to meet the need of the whole community.Importance of Respect
Respect should be given to all. Most parents teach their children only about respect for elders, and they do not teach them that respect must be given to all, regardless of age or social status. But children must be taught respect as an essential moral value from a young age so that they can learn how to behave with others. Benefits of Developing Respect
Developing respect helps people by making healthy relationships with each other in their daily life, reducing stress among people by resolving conflicts, creating a fair environment, increase satisfaction, sharing problems and getting their solution, ensuring progress in the right direction, etc.How to develop moral values of respect?
When children do something wrong or show weird behaviour. Parents should not scold them or should not stop them immediately. Rather, they must ask them that 'How would you feel if someone did that to you?' And also tell them that think yourself in by keeping in place of others. This will give a chance to think them whether they did wrong or right. This will also develop a feeling of respect for them. Also, respect them then only they will learn to respect you. Respect can be shown by simple gestures as well. Some courteous utterances such as "Thank you", "Welcome" and "Sorry" are also used to show respect towards each other.Conclusion
Respect is one of the moral values which shows civilized human behaviour. A popular quote by R.G. Risch is "Respect is a two-way street, if you want to get it, you will have to get to give it." If you will respect others, others will also respect you. Therefore, everybody in the society must have respectable behaviour with all so that a strong and healthy society will get flourished.
I strongly feel that it is the prime duty of the parents to make their children understand the value of respect and inculcate in them this great virtue. The indifferent and disrespectful children are an awful sight. We do not like them on the first meeting itself. Some parents ignore teaching the children good manners and showing respect to others but then they only repent it later in life when the children even do not respect their parents. One thing which is of paramount importance in this matter is that children generally mimic the ways of their parents in most of the matters and showing respect to others is one of them. It is generally seen that where the parents respect and care for their elders, the children also pick up the same traits.
Another factor that is also important is the society where one dwells. Children learn a great deal from the outside world also and if they are living in an atmosphere where fighting and abusive language is heard across the house walls then they will definitely get that in their upbringing in one way or other.