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For the month of November we are focusing on the character trait of Respect at FES. The definition we are using is: Seeing the good in people and things (and treating them with care). Learning to respect one another often involves learning more about other people and understanding who they are. Respect is also about how we speak and treat one another and ourselves. We will be celebrating Diversity and Respect Week later in November.

CONVERSATION STARTERS:

·         Talk with your child about what it means to be respectful, to be courteous and to use their manners, to solve conflict peacefully, and what it means to treat others the way they want to be treated.

·         Talk about a time you felt disrespected and what you did about it in a way that demonstrated Respect.

·         If Respect means making others see good in people and making people feel cared for, how do we already show Respect at home? How can we do a better job showing Respect as both kids and adults?

·         Respect can look and sound different depending on one’s culture, but it feels consistent across communities. Discuss with your child what it feels like to be respected. How does your community show Respect? Be sure to be specific! You can reinforce respectful behaviors by naming them explicitly such as, “I see your Respect when you wait your turn to speak” or, “I feel respected when you ask me how I’m doing.”

Here are a couple of story books that talk about RESPECT that you can check out with your family:

The Colors of Us by Karen Katz (Take a walk with Lena and her mom to see and discuss the different colors and shades in our skin tone) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqBHAzuMJ50

The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper (Learn about all of the different cultures and world religions that have their own version of The Golden Rule.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce_vFBpjsnw

QUESTIONS YOU COULD TALK ABOUT AS A FAMILY:

·         What do “good manners” look like in our family? How does using good manners show Respect?

·         How does it feel to be respected? How does it feel to be disrespected? Who are the most respectful people you know?

·         Is it easier or harder to Respect someone who is very different from us? Why?

·         What do I do that makes you feel respected? How else does that make you feel?

Respect Challenge: A Recipe for Respect

To show Respect for diversity and to celebrate other cultures and their customs, research a traditional recipe for your family to try from your own culture or from another culture that you know exists in your community. Make that dish and share with your family about its background and its significance.