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R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB
Oh (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me, sock it me)
We all love singing along to Aretha Franklin's classic hit song. However, the lyrics don't really convey the deeper meaning of respect. The same goes with the sing-song one-liners many parents lay on their children; "For all I do, I deserve respect." "You should respect your elders because they're older than you." "Respect the law and stay out of trouble." "Respect your teachers and don't talk back." "Show some respect for your body and change that outfit!"
Kids need more than one-liners. They need parents to take the time and patiently explain the "What, Why & How" of Respect and share relevant examples about how "treating others as we want to be treated" improves the quality of life for everyone.
But many parents are so busy with their careers, managing the finances, running a household, staying in touch with friends and followers (or keeping up with the Kardashians) that most don't invest nearly enough time teaching their kids what true respect is. And with sarcasm and rude behavior being such popular themes in entertainment, it's no wonder kids act disrespectfully. It often seems like a losing battle to help our children develop positive character traits these days.
How can we win the battle and bring out the best in our children? Along with practicing The Five Strategies of the Virtues Project, I try to find creative ways to engage my son and the other kids in my life, to inspire them to discover how Virtues From "A" to "Z" can make their life better. It's not always easy. A lot of kids (and adults) resist learning about virtues because they think they're only for goody two-shoes or super religious people. I started The "V" Channel to change old perceptions of virtues. Our goal is to provide new examples of how ordinary people can use the gifts within to reveal their inherent goodness---even those of us who have a bit of a devilish nature!
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