Have you ever received blatant disrespect from a child? It’s hard to keep your cool, but there are helpful ways and unproductive ways to respond. Sometimes it’s hard to know if the child intended to be disrespectful. In today’s episode about handling disrespect from kids, Abby tells the story of a time there was no question—the kiddo was straight-up disrespectful. Disrespect is an outward sign of an inward disposition, so it needs to be handled inwardly. How do we address what’s happening on the surface while also getting to the root of the problem?
One helpful resource about respect is iMOM’s Good Character Traits page. You can use it along with the printable below to teach what respect is and practice it in your home. One way to look at respect is that it means regarding others as valuable. Everyone has value, but not everyone is recognized as valuable. Respect is shown by how we think about, speak to, and treat others. When you’re trying to get to the heart of disrespectful behavior, talking to your child about another person’s value is a good starting point.
We cover a lot in this episode! We discuss how respectful behavior is defined differently across different families (and sometimes between a mom and a dad), what phrases sound most disrespectful, and triggers for kids. We also talk about building a family that values respect by modeling it as parents and having fun together. If handling disrespect from kids is something that you’re struggling with, there’s definitely a good word for you in this conversation!
Articles We Mentioned
Wise Words When Your Children Talk Back
Want Respectful Kids? Follow These 5 Steps
5 Decisions You Can Make to End Disrespect
The Secret Way to Teach Your Teenager Respect
Printables We Think You’ll Like
What’s your biggest struggle with disrespect? Or do you have any tricks that work?
