September 30, 2019

How to teach your son to be respectful at an early age

How to teach your son to be respectful at an early age


Respect is learned at an early age. This is respect for parents, peers, animals. The list can go on and on. We learn how to respect from our early years and it carries into adulthood. Teaching your son to be respectful of women may seem a little crazy when he’s just a toddler, but that will set the foundation for the rest of his life. If you can start early, his future girlfriends and eventually wife will be appreciative. 

Here are some things you can do to start the process very early on: 

Lead by example. 

If we show respect to our children, other adults and especially women, our sons will teach them the same behaviors. Show our sons that we do not talk bad about women, call them names and especially do not hit or threaten them. 

Speak kindly. 

Regardless of who you are talking to, speak kindly. Use please and thank you. Try to stay away from using negative words like shut up or the like. 

Talk about disrespect. 

If you see a man on TV being disrespectful to a woman, talk about it. This could be the same if you see someone in a public place. Talk to your son and ask him what he thinks. Ask him how he thinks the woman feels in his situation. It is also a good idea to ask him if he thinks it would be okay for a man to treat his mom/sister in this manner. 

Offer help. 

Teach your son at an early age that if sees someone, especially a woman that needs help to go and offer help. This goes back to helping an elder cross the road but can be as simple as assisting someone that has dropped something or even smiling at someone that looks like they are having a bad day. 


Monitor internet usage. 

With today's technology takeover (aka Youtube) this is usually a given to watch what your kids are doing on the internet, but think about this...most boys are exposed to pornography by the age of 11. This isn’t the same as the old school Playboy magazines. This is hardcore, sometimes violent acts against women. This is a good topic to discuss at an early age. Let them know that this does exist but that it isn’t real life. Explain how healthy relationships are structured and what should be expected.

Don’t allow sexism. 

It may seem like a joke to say “get in the kitchen and make me a sandwich” but these types of jokes can be harmful. If you hear your son make a joke about “women drivers” or other sexist comments, call them out on it. Ensure you set your son straight in regards to how he should talk to and about women.    

We hope that if you have a son, and have been researching on this specific topic online, today's blog post has helped you in some way. Don't forget to leave your questions in the comments!

xo,
Karina