Show Me Character
Respect

Characteristics of Respect

• Treat others with respect
• Follow the Golden Rule
• Be tolerant of differences
• Use good manners, not bad language
• Be considerate of the feelings of others
• Don’t threaten, hit, or hurt anyone
• Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements

Working with Children and Teens
Help children distinguish between respectful and disrespectful statements and actions through everyday situations. Ask children whether each of the following is an example of respect or disrespect. Discuss how those showing lack of respect could act respectfully.

• A friend borrows one of your toys and won’t return it.
• A classmate pushes you out of line and takes your place.
• A classmate takes time to help you understand a math problem.
• You tell a friend and he tells it to a few other people.
• A friend says, “pardon me” before going around you to hand up her coat in the closet.
• A classmate teases you about your new haircut.
• You raise your hand to answer a question, and everyone listens quietly while you talk.
• You’re a cursing loudly in the lunchroom because your friends think it is funny.
• You are playing baseball and accidentally throw the ball through a neighbors window.
• Someone at a party spills grape juice on you and doesn’t apologize.
• Several people are pushing to get on a crowded bus.
• Your father says he is expecting an important phone call. Five minutes later the phone rings. It’s a friend of yours from school.

Practicing Respect 1
People of good character are respectful of others. You show respect by recognizing and honoring everyone’s right to be themselves, to make decisions, and to have privacy and dignity.

• Be courteous and polite.
• Be kind and appreciative.
• Accept individual differences and don’t insist that everyone be like you.
• Judge people on their merits.

Are you respectful? Spend some time talking to your children about being respectful and how respect and disrespect is shown in every day situations. Encourage them to talk about one of the following:

• A friend borrows one of your toys and won’t return it. Is that friend being respectful? What do you do?

• You tell a friend a secret and he tells it to a few other people. Is that friend being respectful?

• You’re at the monthly 4-H meeting; raise your hand to make a comment and everyone listens quietly while you talk. Are members of the 4-H club being respectful? Are you respectful when others are talking?

Practicing Respect 2
Aretha Franklin’s song “R-E-S-P-E-C-T!” made the word famous but do we know what it really means? Ethical people are respectful of others, and demonstrate it by recognizing and honoring everyone’s right to be themselves, to make decisions, and to have privacy and dignity. Ethical people deal with others using one of two principles:

1. Respectful people give others the information they need to make wise decisions about their lives.

2. Ethical people accept individual difference without prejudice. Respect is given because you are a person of good character.

Use these guidelines to strengthen your character:

• Be courteous and polite
• Be kind and appreciate
• Accept individual differences and don’t insist that everyone be like you
• Judge people on their merits, not on race, religion, nationality, age, sex, physical or mental condition. Or socio-economic status.

Exercise
Using good manners is a way to show you respect yourself and others. Send this month learning about table manners, dating etiquette and business etiquette. Go to the library, do a web search or ask an expert to help you in this exercise.

Ask a group of your friends ways they want to be shown respect. Then turn this list into a checklist on how you will treat others your age for the next week. Then try it for a second week.

Missouri 4-H youth development character education program is based on CHARACTER COUNTS®