Respect:

Showing high regard for yourself and others. Respect is an attitude that you display every day and includes cooperation, listening to others and mutual support. Showing respect for others is very important in the way you relate to people, and it is a huge part of your character.

When we treat people with respect it makes our world a nicer place to live, whether it is at home, or out in the community, showing respect to others is a great way to show we have respect for ourselves. The character trait of respect is easy to follow- all you have to do is treat others the way you would like to have them treat you.

Living in America means that we live in a diverse nation made up of many different cultures, languages, races, and backgrounds. Though all the differences can make our lives a lot more fun and interesting, it only works if we get along with each other which includes respecting each other and accepting our differences. Having an attitude of caring about others and their rights is an excellent way of showing respect. Showing an interest and appreciation for another culture can also open the door to new and wonderful experiences for you.

We can also show our respect by treating property and the environment with care. Ask yourself questions such as these. “How do I want others to treat my belongings or my right to privacy? How do I want others to talk and listen to me? How do I want others to treat me when we need to resolve conflicts?”

Respect begets respect, which simply put means we have to give respect to others to get respect in return. As you study the character trait of respect this month, think about simple acts of respect you can share with those closest to you. I challenge you to make an effort to be more respectful to others and my guess is that they in turn will be more respectful of you.

Choose to develop the character trait of respect from the discussions, activities and service learning ideas listed below:

Discussions:

• What dooes it mean to treat other people with respect? Brainstorm a list of do’s and don’ts of what respect looks like and sounds like.
• How is the issue of respect portrayed on television or in the movies? Watch a movie or TV show and discuss or write about how the characters interacted with each other. In what ways did they treat each other with respect or disrespect?
• What would respect look like if you wanted to use something that did not belong to you but the person who that something belonged to was not around to ask?

Activities:

• Role play different situations where children deal with a conflict by choosing to treat others with respect.
• Write a letter of advice to your future child. Plan for them to open it when they are the same age as you are now. Share some of your experiences and tell why you believe it is important for your future child to be respectful of others.

Service Learning Ideas:

• Make multilingual posters that promote peace, peer conflict resolution and respect. Post in a local community center.
• Create and perform skits that show problem solving skills where conflict can occur. Place an emphasis on treating others how you would like to be treated.
• Survey people you know to find out how often they are or were teased or bullied as a kid. Tabulate and report your statistics; include a summary as to how respect towards others could change your data. Submit findings to the Service Learning Coordinator.
• Invent a non competitive new game that teaches children to be respectful of each other. Use the game to mentor younger children.
• Come up with your own Service Learning idea.