Forming Our Youth: Respect for Others

Forming Our Youth:
a Marriage-Building Parish Building Block

We must form young people in the beliefs and virtues necessary for healthy relationships. > Read more about this building block

As part of the Marriage Building Parish initiative, the Catholic Family Institute, with permission from Four Court Press LTD, will feature excerpts from Mr. Isaac’s book each month in the bulletin and on this blog.



Character Building: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by David Isaacs

In his book, Mr. Isaacs explores twenty-four virtues we should develop to have more “self-mastery and better serve others,” abilities we all hope our children will have.  Recognizing that the example we set leaves a more lasting impression on our children than the words we say, each chapter includes a description of a virtue and a series of questions that help assess how well you are living that virtue and how well you are helping to develop the virtue in children/students.

Another important virtue is Respect for Others.

A respectful person acts (or refrains from acting) out of love so as to help others and not to harm them. Every person, as a Child of God, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. However, each individual has a status or circumstance that requires he/she be respected in a certain way. For instance, children have a duty to respect their parents their entire lives, even though their duty to obey ends when they are completely independent of their parents’ support/care. We teach young children to respect others by creating an atmosphere of respect and affection in our homes and classrooms. Specifically, children should be taught:

• To accept each person as he/she is and look for the best in that person
• To understand the different status of individuals (teachers, parents, officials, friends) and the respect that status requires
• To be kind and considerate and not deliberately upset/goad others
• To always ask permission before using an item that belongs to another and return it in good condition
• To ask politely for items or assistance and always say "thank you"

Answer the following questions and discuss your reflections with a spouse/friend.

Am I Respectful of Others?

• Do I usually manage to maintain an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance and respect in the classroom or home?
• When talking to others, do I try to avoid general judgments about people, indiscriminate criticism and any kind of prejudice?

Do I Teach Others to Be Respectful?

• Do I teach children that each individual has a right to respect for her/his person, property, modesty and good name?
• Do I insist that the children respect my authority as their parent/teacher and to respect all those in authority?
• Do I help the children realize when they are criticizing others, talking badly about them behind their backs or doing harmful things?
• Do I help them see opportunities to help others improve in a loving/prudent way?
• Do I help kids see when they are impacting others’ negatively by playing on their emotions or taking advantage of an age difference to get what they want?

Please share your thoughts and comments.