Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Let's Talk About Respect...

The lack of respect I witness on a daily basis is probably the thing that frustrates me the most. It seems to be everywhere....people who cut you off in traffic, someone who fails to hold the door open for you or people who are just downright rude to those around them. I feel that many of the problems in today's society are a direct result of this lack of respect.

Today I watched a woman get into her car and drive away without putting on her seatbelt. This may not seem like a disrespectful act to you but to me it shows disrespect on many levels. It is disrespectful to the laws governing our safety and well-being, it is disrespectful to herself and her family members who would be directly effected by her injury or death and it is disrespectful to the emergency personnel who would have to respond to her accident. I doubt she is thinking about any of this when she chooses not to put on her seatbelt but I wish she would.

So when my children complain about following the rules I don't tell them that they have to because I "say so" instead I try to instill in them an understanding of why the rules are important. I want them to realize how not following the rules effects those around them and that there are consequences for not following the rules. Even when I may not completely agree with the rules I still believe it is our responsibility to follow them and encourage our children to follow them. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, like when doing so violates my rights or the rights of others. In these cases it is my duty to stand up for what I believe in in a respectful and appropriate manner.


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