Respect Vs. Obedience: Why Parents Should Focus On Getting Respect Instead Of Obedience From Children

In an era where every answer to a question is just one click away, modern day parents have easy access to parenting resources if they need to seek some advice. But despite many resources outlined the disadvantages of the overly strict and authoritarian parenting approaches, harsh discipline child-raising style still exist.

With that said, one of the highlighted issues in strict parenting is the need for obedience and respect. However, the rigid and harsh discipline structure of strict parenting only breed control, fear and obedience hence, life coach Kim Giles recently stressed why parents should focus on earning respect from their children for a better parent-child relationship.

In Giles' KSL.com article, she answered a query from a self-confessed control-focused parent, who sought some advice if she could overturn the damage her need for obedience and high expectations did to her relationship with her kids. According to Giles, each parent should know what they really want - controlled and obedient children or smart, responsible, independent and respectful kids.

Giles also emphasized that fear is not synonymous to respect, which for her means having "fearless strength, wisdom, love and compassion." She also explained why blind obedience is not what parents should want.

Furthermore, Giles shared some parenting advice that would help parents create a well-balanced and healthy relationship with their children. Among Giles' tips are: parents should be "respectable," "respectful" and mindful to the "attachments" that have a connection to the kids and not based on the parent's inclinations.

In teaching and nurturing respect, however, parents should remember that children are not naturally born with a sense of respect for others, Empowering Parents noted. In order to cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship, parents should also learn to respect themselves and their children's feelings, opinions, privacy, personality, body and personal space.

In addition, parents should also remember that mutual respect is based on positive discipline and not on harsh discipline approach, Family Education revealed. Experts also stressed the significance of respect in parenting rather fostering fear among children since it could lead to several negative outcomes and behavioral problems such as rebellion, bullying and depression, Destiny Connect reported.

So, are you the kind of parent who wants control and obedience or you'd rather want respect? Share your thoughts below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.