How to Earn a Child's Respect

Many parents believe that respect is a one-way street--it is only they who deserve it and their children who show it. This cannot be the case if you truly desire to raise children who are respectful adults. Even adults need to be humbled at times and realize that respect is something that must be earned rather than given upon demand. The following steps will teach you a valuable lesson.

Instructions

1. Show respect. You cannot expect a child to respect you if you first do not respect him. Instead of telling him to get you your drink, ask him to get it for you. Rather than tell him to turn down the television, ask him to turn down the television. There is a fine line between exercising parental control and being rude.

2. Lead by example. Parents try to teach their kids that it's wrong to make fun of others, yet they watch as their parents do it to people on the street. Parents ground children if they raise their voices to them when they become angry, yet they lose their tempers with them for no reason quite often. The point here is that the "Do as I say and not as I do" theory is completely crazy. If parents want kids to respect them, they need to give them a reason to. They need to show their children what being respectful means.

3. Use manners. If children ask for something, even if it's in the sweetest of voices, the first thing many people say is, "I didn't hear the magic word." Yet how many times have you asked your child for something without saying please? How many times have they done something for you without hearing thank you? Again, earning a child's respect starts with you and what you demonstrate to her. If she sees you using your manners with her, she will respond in return.

4. Do something kind. Earning your child's respect doesn't always have to deal with him directly. If you lend a hand to a neighbor in need or volunteer your time on his little league team, he will think the world of you. The more he thinks of you as a person, the more he will respect you as his parent.

5. Spend quality time with your child. Take your child fishing, read her a book, or tickle her once in a while. Spending any kind of time with your child and doing anything that lets her know that you love her will automatically gain you her respect. If she believes for even a second that you love her enough to make time for her, her appreciation for you will grow by 110 percent.