Macaroni and Please: Lesson Five

I Respect Myself

By Lewena Bayer and Karen Mallett

Once children know what respect is, they should learn about self-respect. Children who take care of themselves; brush their teeth, dress themselves, eat well, etc, are more likely to feel good about themselves and apply that self-esteem to decision making, trusting themselves and being kind to themselves in emotional and physical ways. When we treat ourselves with respect, others are more likely to treat us with respect.

Objectives:

• Teach children what "self-respect" means.
• Discuss specific examples of "self-respect".
• Explain the benefits of "self-respect".

Practice & Exercise

Take some time to explain to your children how each of us is important. We have to treat ourselves with respect to show others how we expect them to treat us, and to show them how we will treat them. Give an example, i.e., "If I always eat with my fingers and never use a napkin, people will think it is okay for them to eat with their fingers too and they probably won't offer me a napkin, but, if I always use a napkin and utensils, people will probably feel like they should use a fork and napkin when they eat around me, and they will probably hand me a napkin before I have to ask for one." Ask your children to share ideas of things they might do that do not show self-respect. Look for answers such as:

• Throw a fit
• Don't wash my face
• Wear a dirty shirt
• Whine and complain
• Stay up late- don't sleep enough
• Only eat junk food
• Break my things
• Leave my books at school
• Say mean things about myself
• Let other people push me around- don't stand up for myself

Consider making a list on a piece of paper, chalk board or white board then, ask children to review each and say why it is not positive behaviour and then discuss what you could do instead to show self-respect. Explain that one of the easiest ways to show self-respect is by keeping yourself neat and clean- we call this hygiene. It includes things like: wash and brush hair, wear clean clothes, clean your nails, brush teeth.

Note: For older children, you might introduce a "My Feelings journal. Give each participant a notebook or journal and ask them to either draw a picture or write a word or a few sentences that expresses what they are feeling. You could even expand this session to include work on "feelings or "emotions". Explain that sometimes talking to ourselves (or writing or thinking) about how we feel helps us understand how we feel, and that how we feel about ourselves often determines how we act or respect ourselves

Continue by asking the children to help you make a list of thing that are good habits. Have them put a check mark beside the items that are good examples.

• brush your teeth
• popping your gum
• showing off
• dressing neat and clean
• gossiping
• having good posture
• cleaning your fingernails
• taking a bath
• washing your hair

Can you think of anymore? ________________________________

Copyright In Good Company, The CG Inc.