The virtue of respect is the basis of the St Paul's Way. Respect is a quality that is highly
valued in our society and we can certainly recognise when people act and speak
respectfully towards us. Everyone seems to know and acknowledge what constitutes
respectful or disrespectful behaviour. Individually, we can’t change society but we can
make a big difference in our little corner of it. It’s up to us to make sure that we’re doing
our part to be respectful adults and to teach our children to be respectful as they learn
and develop.
Children learn their standards of respect from what they see around them and parents
and school staff are in a powerful position to teach by their own example as well as by
instruction. Because our children take their cues from us, we need to be sure that we
are setting the best possible standards. Schools teach children about respect but
parents have the most influence on how respectful children become.
Respect is an attitude and being respectful helps children succeed in life. If children
don’t have respect for parents, peers, authority or themselves, it’s almost impossible for
them to succeed. The best way to teach respect is to show respect. When children
experience respect, they know what it feels like and begin to understand how important
it is.
If we reinforce our children’s positive and respectful behaviour and eliminate disrespect
by immediately calling attention to it to discourage it, we are helping to develop the
moral intelligence of our children. It is true that we can’t change society, but it’s also
true that we can be a powerful influence in our little corner of it.
