Ways to Show Respect for Others: 50+ Ideas!

 

I am not certain if you have read my article on teaching children to be respectful.

If you haven’t, you can find it here.

Since one of the goals of Mama’s Grilled Cheese is to help parents change the world for the better, the number one way that I feel that we can do this is by teaching our children how to be respectful towards others.

Of course, it is not just about our children!

We, as parents, need to be good role models of this concept ourselves!

Before you go down the list and start checking off each one when thinking about your child, I have one question for ya…

How many of these can you check off for yourself?

Ha!

Gotchya there, huh?

No worries, my friends!

Let’s just take a look at this list and see.

I bet you do more on here on a regular basis than what you think!

Either way, let’s see what we can teach our kids…

Make this world a pleasant and appetizing place for everyone!

*Some of the links within this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase an item, I receive a small compensation from certain items.

Respect through Words

It is amazing how powerful our words are!

The things that we say can be just as important as the things that we do.

Words can either hurt or heal.

They can bring pain or joy.

Why not impress in our children some words that will brighten someone’s day?

Here are some nice words that you can teach your child to say in order to help guide them towards being a kind and caring person:

• Saying, “Please”
• Saying, “Thank you”
• Being humble enough to say, “I’m sorry” when doing something wrong
• Saying, “Excuse me” when passing someone or interrupting a conversation
• Asking how someone else is doing and genuinely listening
• Using the phrase, “May I please…” in order to ask for something
• Saying, “yes, sir/yes, ma’am” or “no, sir/no, ma’am”
• Addressing someone as Mr./Ms./Mrs.
• Asking if it is okay to address someone a certain way prior to addressing them that way. “Do you mind if my son addresses you as ‘ma’am’?”
• Using aunt/uncle in addition to the person’s name instead of just calling them by their name
• Asking if someone needs help: “Can I help you with anything?”
• Providing compliments to others: “I really like your hat!”

Respect through Actions

We can always state how we care through words, but actually showing someone how much we care can be just as valuable.

I remember being a kid and not wanting to have to stop playing with my toys in order to get ready to go to a relative’s house.

Or having to stand up from my chair when another adult walked into the room so that that person could sit down.

Now that I am an adult, I see how those actions really make a good impression and reflect awareness, kindness and consideration.

As kids, we just want to play and have fun, so sometimes there may be some fuss and pushback when trying to teach these, but don’t give up!

The rewards of seeing your child grow into a beautiful, courteous and warm-hearted person will greatly outweigh the bumps that it took to get there!

Here are some kind things that you can teach your child to do in order to make the world a better place:

• Helping to clean the house
• Holding a door open for someone
• Helping a neighbor
• Keeping their own room tidy
• Getting up from a chair and offering it to an adult instead
• Offering the remote to a tired parent who has worked all day
• Keeping toys picked up
• Volunteering in the community
• Keeping in touch with friends and family by calling or writing letters (Old fashion, but so much more meaningful than a text!)
• Writing thank you cards when others give gifts (this is one that brings joy to many of our friends and family when my son does this!)
• Letting someone else pass on the sidewalk
• Smiling and waving to neighbors in the community
• Cutting the lawn for someone who cannot do it themselves
• Sharing favorite items with others
• Working with others on a group activity
• Covering a cough or a sneeze
• Washing hands prior to preparing/eating food out of respect for everyone eating, not just you!
• Wearing a mask when around others (The mask is not about politics, folks. It’s about having respect for the person next to ya who may not have as good of an immune system as you do!)
• Dressing appropriately for gatherings/events
• Keeping clean the public areas that you use (restrooms, work areas, picnic areas, etc) In other words, if you use the public restroom, don’t be the jerk that leaves toilet paper on the floor for the next person to step on and get it stuck to their shoe!)

Respect for the Environment

Just as we have respect for those around us, we also should have respect for our planet and the world that we live in.

All of those little actions that we do in our own homes have an effect on the environment.

They trickle down right to the ground!

Everything from plants to animals to our waters to the sky…

We make an impact in a way that we just don’t actually see every day.

Here is a simple list of ways that you can teach your child how to have respect for the planet:

• Recycling
• Picking up pieces of trash in the community and properly disposing it
• Using more environmentally safe products
• Being thoughtful to how your trash affects others (such as cutting plastic rings from your pop cans in half before throwing them away so that a fish doesn’t get its head stuck in it)
• Take an interest in nature and spend some time in it
• Start a garden
• Advocate for environmental protections

Respect for Oneself

As important as it is to have respect for others, we also must have respect for ourselves.

When we respect ourselves, we show others that we are important, too!

We also tend to show others that we, as well, have boundaries and that they need to be respected.

Here are some ideas that you can do for yourself or teach your child to do for him/herself.

It is important to teach our children that they need to learn to respect themselves, as well, and how that can benefit them in the long run.

Here are some ways to do just that:

• Brushing teeth
• Brushing hair
• Bathing
• Taking a break when needed
• Enjoying company with others
• Engaging in a hobby
• Surrounding oneself with respectful people
• Eating healthy foods
• Drinking enough water
• Keeping nails and hair trimmed
• Learning to say “no” to others when we are just too overwhelmed or tired to do anything else!
• Learning to ask for help when we need it
• Keeping your area clean and organized
• Listening to yourself and giving yourself whatever you need to feel your best
• Exercising
• Meditating
• Treating yourself to something special sometimes
• Dressing appropriately but comfortably in a way that makes you feel good!

That is That!

I hope that the above lists help to give some ideas on what we can teach our children in order to help them to grow to be respectful individuals.

Do not feel guilty if you, yourself, do not engage in all of the above activities.

Do not feel pressured to actually do them all.

Even if you can only check off a few, then you are probably on the right track with being a kind-hearted person.

And do not feel as though you have to teach every single one of these to your child!

We may not feel comfortable doing some of these things or we may not have the time.

Regardless, the goal here is just to be mindful, active and productive in growing, teaching and becoming better people.

Each one that we do, though, only brings us closer to a more beautiful place to collectively live and be in.

 

Find more great things to do at Mama’s Grilled Cheese here!