Value of the Month: Respect

Posted December 30, 2024

At McMeen, we work with an organization called Capturing Kid’s Hearts (CKH) to empower our Mustangs to grow into leaders. Every month, we emphasize a particular value at school, and in January we will be focusing on respect.

As we promote respect here at school, we encourage you to support your child in practicing respect at home. Here are some ideas for how you might do this:

• Model respectful behavior. Children learn by observing adults, so be sure to demonstrate respectful communication and active listening when interacting with your child and others. This can involve using polite language like “please,” “thank you” and “excuse me” in everyday interactions. Be sure to also validate your child’s emotions even if you don’t agree. For example, “I understand you’re upset because you didn’t get the toy you wanted. Let’s talk about it.”

• Establish clear expectations. Make sure your child understands your expectations for respectful behavior. Use simple, clear rules like “no yelling” or “we speak kindly to each other.” Praise your child when they follow these expectations.

• Create a respectful environment. One way to do this is by creating boundaries and respecting your child’s space and belongings. For example, “These are your toys, and these are your sister’s. Let’s respect each others belongings and ask before using them.” Another way to do this is by teaching active listening. You can encourage your child to make eye contact and show interest when someone else is speaking. (Be sure to model this yourself as well!)