Do You Need More RESPECT?
by Hannah Keeley
Do you need more R-E-S-P-E-C-T?
I remember one time, when we were filming my show, “Hannah, Help Me.” I showed up at a mom’s house and was totally shocked! I wasn’t shocked at the clutter or the laundry. I was shocked at how her son spoke to her!
Now, keep in mind, I’m old school southern (translated: my kids say ma’am and sir). Some people think that’s over the top, and that’s perfectly fine. Each person has the right to believe what they want to about how to express respect. But one thing we can all agree on is this–parents deserve it! This kid was telling his mom what to do, and was getting by with it! What?!
If you are not getting respect from your kids (or as Aretha says it, R-E-S-P-E-C-T), then it ‘s time to…
…stop and take a good look at what’s going behind the scenes. The number one reason parents don’t get respect from their kids is because they don’t respect themselves! I’ve found that the parents who complain about not getting respect from their kids fall into two categories: They either stagger or stomp. Here’s what I mean by this:
Parents who stagger doubt everything they do. They do not feel as if they have the authority to parent their children and subsequently, hobble, limp, and stagger along on their journey. They often are caught begging their children to do something. “Can you pleeeeeeez go pick up your toys?” They are often afraid on confrontation so they do everything they can to avoid it. At the root of all this behavior is LACK OF RESPECT. These parents do NOT respect their role as a parent, they do not see it as a professional career. They let doubt rule their thought and behaviors, instead of authority.
On the other hand, parents who stomp rule by force. They are the ones yelling and fuming and saying, “You better get this done, or else!” This is equally an ineffective because they are using fear to mold their children, which never yields good results. Surprisingly, at the root of this type of parenting is also a LACK OF RESPECT! They do not respect themselves and believe that authority can only be displayed through brute force.
Jesus told us that “authority has been given to us” (Luke 10:19), but if we don’t respect ourselves enough to operate effectively in that authority, we’ll never have peace in our homes. Each morning, we need to dig into God’s Word and keep seeing ourselves as God sees us. He rejoices over you! He has made you well-equipped to handle any challenge! He has given you authority! He has freely given you wisdom!”
Children have a sixth sense. They don’t hear your words, they feel your energy. If you don’t respect yourself, they won’t respect you either. Gird yourselves up in the authority that has been given to you through Jesus Christ and quit staggering and stomping your way into your children’s hearts. That will never work. Respect does; and it begins with you!
You may have a friend who is struggling with this same issue! Please share this with your FB friends and let’s cause a respect revolution!!
-Hannah
Hannah Keeley was once in overwhelmed mom living in a cluttered house, deep in debt, out of shape, and barely hanging on. But one day, after finding herself sobbing uncontrollably into a pile of clean laundry, she realized God has bigger and better plans for her (just like He does for each one of His children). Beginning that day, she began making changes in her life that took her from overwhelmed to overjoyed. Today, she’s helping moms do the same. Hannah, her husband, Blair, and their seven children live in Richmond, Virginia, and are having the time of their lives!
Check out Hannah’s Website Here!
