Guest Post by Susan Day: Is Respecting your Elders a Thing of the Past?

11/24/2017

Respecting your elders was the one thing that many of us ‘older’ folk remember being told over and over again.
We weren’t allowed to talk back to our parents, we had to sit still and listen to our grandparents, and we always spoke politely to grown-ups we encountered in the street.
Then times changed. Children were told about their rights, and justifiably so, as we learned to our horror that some of those adults abused their positions of trust. As well, children were encouraged to share their feelings and question rules and query those in authority.
Respecting your elders quickly became old fashioned and, some might say trite, but the question remains, was it such a bad idea?

Susan Day

What Does Respect Mean

Respect is best defined as a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something brought about by their abilities, qualities and achievements. Some synonyms of respect include esteem, admiration, approval, reverence, honor, and praise.
I don’t know about you, but these all sound like good values to me, and ones I would like my children and grandchildren to learn.

Why is Respect so Important

When we respect another human being we are graciously accepting that person for their good points and their bad. Not everyone is perfect, but it is important to give others the benefit of the doubt.
We don’t have to live blindly giving into to another person’s whims or opinions, but we should appreciate that we often don’t know the real reason why a person does or says something. Many older people seem to complain a lot, but do we fully understand what their lives were like in the past or how they suffered?
Being respectful means to accept someone, and not judge them.
If you look back to the definition of respect you might notice that it implies that respect is deserved after someone has proven themselves. Therefore, we can surmise you earn respect, it is not automatically granted.
Perhaps this is where we went wrong in the past. We made children respect people who hadn’t proved that they were worthy of it, and some sadly weren’t.

How Can we Teach Our Children to Respect their Elders

Respect is a value which is learned and passed on, and I think the best way to teach children to respect their elders is to show them what it looks like.
As an adult and a parent or grandparent, do you respect your elders? Are you polite to older people you meet in the street? Do you listen and not argue with your parents? Do you bicker about what other adults do or shouldn’t do in front of your children?
Learning to be respectful is easy if you have created an atmosphere where respect is practiced and honored.
Practicing respect does take time, and it has to be front of mind. Helping children learn to respect their elders is about teaching them to listen without judgement; be patient towards someone who has a different opinion, or comes from a race or has different beliefs. Crucial to our advancement as a society is having respect and admiration for the wonderful diversity of humankind.
I think these are extremely important values, don’t you?

About Susan Day

Susan Day is a passionate author, educator and, of course, a grandmother. She wants to empower all grandparents to build meaningful relationships with their grandchildren. Discover here the Top 10 Things Happy Grandparents Never Regret Doing.
Susan lives in country Australia with four dogs, three bossy cats, two rescue guinea pigs, and an errant kangaroo.