Respecting Youngsters: Every person should respect each other’s thoughts, feelings and behavior. By doing this you will set a better example for your younger ones and you will also get proper respect.
We all have learned from our parents and teachers in childhood that we should respect people older than us. In Indian culture, special importance has been given to giving a higher position and respecting a person older than one in age or position. There are many examples of this in our Vedic and mythological literature. Be it Hanuman’s devotion to Ram or Arjun’s immense faith in Shri Krishna or the disciples in the Gurukul tradition facing the biggest challenges without questioning the Guru’s advice, we all have grown up listening to these impactful stories.
But have you ever thought that every person has equal right to respect? Irrespective of caste, gender or age a person is, he has every right to receive respect. It would not be wrong to say that apart from our elders, we should also respect our younger ones. In reality respect does not depend on age. Every person should respect each other’s thoughts, feelings and behavior. By doing this you will set a better example for your younger ones and you will also get proper respect. We have difficulty in giving respect to the younger ones because of our thinking, habits or ego. We can reduce these problems by following some simple things.
Never address children or people younger than you as ‘tu’. Always address them as ‘you’ or ‘you’. At your workplace, address your colleagues and your subordinates by adding ‘G’ before their names. Women should also call the helpers working at home as ‘bhaiya’, ‘didi’ or by adding ‘ji’ before their name. Apart from this, do not talk loudly even to the little ones, use words like ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ appropriately while talking. Avoid abusive words and maintain the dignity of your adulthood by choosing appropriate words. In a house where the elders address everyone appropriately, the younger ones will also be encouraged to do the same.
In today’s modern era, every person is busy. In our busyness we ignore many important things. Mothers often listen to their children while cooking in the kitchen and fathers listen to their office work on the computer. In this way we can only hear it, not understand it. To understand things, we have to stop our work for a while, look into the eyes of those younger than us, pay attention to their every gesture and listen to what they say. Maybe that thing is small for us but it is necessary for our little ones. It is the responsibility of the elders to listen to everything the younger ones say respectfully.
Every person feels different emotions in different situations. There is nothing right or wrong in emotions. The way emotions are expressed can definitely be right or wrong. Therefore, if someone younger than you expresses any emotion, sympathize with him instead of teaching him a lesson of right and wrong. Put yourself in his shoes and understand why he might have felt that way. After this, as adults, help them how they can express any negative emotion in a positive manner.
Do not, under any circumstances, raise your hand against those younger than you. Be it your children or servants, do not use any kind of physical force on them. Physical violence is beyond all limits of respect and humanity. It does not suit any educated person to do this.
People around us help us in many ways every day. Most of the time we consider it their duty and do not thank them for these tasks. The mark of a gentleman is that he should always express gratitude to those younger than him. By doing this he will not only get better service in future but will also get more respect from the younger ones.
Encourage your younger ones by congratulating them on every small and big achievement. Everyone wants the appreciation and love of their elders. If we ignore small achievements, our little ones will never be encouraged to reach new heights. After this encouragement, ask them how they can do this work better and also give them your suggestions. Avoid counting mistakes.
For all those daily decisions which affect the lives of your younger family members as well as yours, seek the opinion of the younger ones also. It is wrong to ignore a person’s words because he is younger in age, relationship or position. Every person has his own opinion and it is justified to know the opinion of all the people involved in any decision, big or small.
Being an elder, it is natural to be interested in the lives of the younger ones, but it is also necessary to understand one’s limits. You cannot impose your principles, values and rules on the little ones. If they need your guidance, they will themselves request you for it, otherwise, they will do the same just as you have gained experience by taking right and wrong decisions. Respect their personality and way of life. Give them your support and help as much as possible but avoid interfering in their lives.
We all acquire a lot of knowledge from many sources in our lives and we all have a strong desire to pass this knowledge on to our younger ones. But psychology has proved that children learn more from their parents by observing their behavior than by what they say. So if you want to teach your children to respect their parents, then don’t forget to respect your parents yourself. Along with this, keep every promise made to the little ones. Maintain faith in them.
We all cannot turn away from the truth that elders also make mistakes just like the younger ones. If we do not apologize when we commit a mistake because of our ego or shame, our younger ones will also learn the same. He will also stop covering up his mistakes and trying to correct them. Remember that by apologizing after committing a mistake, you do not feel embarrassed in front of someone younger than you. Rather, you can guide them by accepting it easily and making improvements.
If you follow all these things in your personal life, your relationships with your little ones will become very sweet and comfortable. Seeing you, the people around you will also learn the same behavior and will treat their younger ones in the same respectful manner. So take this truth for granted today, give respect to existence, not age!
