This week’s Spin Cycle is Respect, and I’ll admit I’ve been having a hard time trying to pinpoint what I want to talk about. Like, we all want our children to be respectful, of both adults and other children, but we don’t want them to become mindless followers who don’t think for themselves. Where do you draw the line between respecting your elders (so to speak) and appropriately questioning authority, like if we have a second incarnation of Hitler or something? I truly hope that Mouse grows up to be someone who can follow his conscious, particularly if he’s being asked to do something wrong, even if it’s by an adult he’s supposed to be respecting. But who wants to raise a defiant, entitled spoiled brat? And where does respect intersect with things like politeness, manners, and just plain common sense? Want about inclusivity and tolerance? Respect and compassion?
How the heck do we raise kids to be all these things when I can’t even really define respect myself?!
For more R-E-S-P-E-C-T, head over to Sprite’s Keeper for the Spin Cycle!
Filed under: Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom | Tagged: respect, Spin Cycle |
Gen X Moms - Life as a mom after 30 
Remember those old color wheels from grade school where the primaries would intersect with each other to become secondaries and such? That’s what I think respect is. It intersects with ALL forms of manners, including but not limited to politeness, common sense, and tolerance. Without respect, I don’t believe the others can exist. Great Spin and I hope the same for Sprite. You’re linked!
Visiting from the Spin Cycle – I had trouble with this one too. Respect is such a complicated, all encompassing feeling that it is hard to put words to it. It seems like something that should just be.
Great post – it made me think about times where respect may not be due.
Really, really good points. It is such a fine line. And so difficult to balance respect of self with respect with others.
Respect really is a balancing act, isn’t it? Great Spin! 🙂
Spinning Up Some Respect