Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World – An Inspirational Guide to Parenting

Mom Central received a complimentary copy of this book to facilitate this review. The views expressed here are entirely our own.

Living in an age where most parents have become far less strict and provide much less structure than in previous generations—hesitant to critique behavior in fear of putting their children down and damaging their self-esteem—children have come to treat adults as friends or equals. As a result, setting and maintaining the right boundaries proves a challenging part of childrearing.

While no one parenting technique applies universally, Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World offers some proactive and positive steps toward raising respectful, engaged, and appreciative children. Instead of calling for or expecting a return to the authoritarian style of parenting of previous generations, accomplished speaker, columnist and mother of two, Jill Rigby, stresses a need to reevaluate and re-strategize parenting skills. In chapters such as “Stress Purpose, Not Performance,” “Coach; Don’t Cheerlead,” and “Set Boundaries Without Building Walls,” this parenting guide focuses on cultivating in our tots and teens self-respect as opposed to self-esteem.

For instance, in the event of a bad grade, instead of making excuses for your son’s less-than-stellar performance, let him know you believe he can do better and why. Using words of encouragement becomes far more productive than false praise, which often undermines a child’s ambition or desire to improve.

Available online for $15.99, Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World also features a study guide for individuals or small groups who wish to put its principles into practice. For more information, visit simonandschuster.com.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.