Respect

So, after what I said about parenting in the previous post, here is something that I do feel strongly about and probably never change my mind about.

Respect.  It's really important to me that my children become people who respect all things.  Respect towards other people--friends, older people, younger people, respect towards living things, animals, insects and environment.  Respect towards other's opinion, property, feelings.  I can go on.  I say this because I am noticing that we are living in the age and the culture where respect holds very little value.

In the last week, I had several opportunities to tell other people's children that they should get off the road and play/ride their bike on the sidewalk.  On all these occasions, I tried to be kind and non-threatening in the manner I approached the children.  But all of them just gave me a very defiant "NO".  I was stunned and speechless.  What do you do then?  Do I just say, it's not my kid, so I shouldn't care if they get run over by a car?  

I really hope that my children would respond "Yes", under the same/similar circumstances.  I mean, I really hope in the first place, they would not be playing on the road.  But if someone approached them to tell them something important, I hope they have the heart to receive their advice and willing to say sorry and admit that they've been wrong.  Maybe this is where the modeling becomes very important.