The following hangs on our refrigerator at home as a reminder that one of our families core values is respect.
Respect
- Respect God. “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38)
- Respect yourself. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (I Corinthians 6:19-20)
- Respect others. “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39b)
- Respect your parents. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother –which is the first commandment with a promise- that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth” (Ephesians 6: 1-3)
- Respect belongings. “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” (Proverbs 21:20)
verb (used with object)
~to hold in esteem or honor: I cannot esteem a cheater.
~to show regard or consideration for: to respect someone’s rights.
~to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with: to respect a person’s privacy.
~to relate or have reference to.
If there is one thing teens/tweens tend to struggle with in their relationship with their parents, it is respect. There is an internal struggle for independence and a fierce desire to be heard and understood that can often cause a child to cross the line between voicing an opinion and being disrespectful.
Even though respect has been a theme in our home for their entire lives, our teens still struggle with this at times. {I am thinking of one child in particular 
} It is important to listen to our teens and allow them the freedom to feel and think differently than we do, so long as we maintain the boundary of showing respect to their parents and elders.
Sometimes this is easier said than done and consistent consequences are key in maintaining this balance.
How important is respect in your relationship with your teen/tween? How do you handle disrespect?
