We all know the commandment to “Honor your father and mother”.

I always wondered, is the commandment for the parents or the child?

Hear me out.

Do children need to respect their parents even if their parents don’t deserve respect? Or do parents need to act in a way to gain their children’s respect?

Ultimately, children do need to respect their parents even if they don’t deserve it.

But, can we make it easier for our kids?

Our kids watch every move we make. They see how we interact with our spouse. They see how we treat other people. They see how we behave when we get irritated… do we use foul language? Are we honest? What do we do in our free time? Do we sit on the couch and play video games or do we take out a book and learn something? Do we gossip or are we careful not to put people down?

They are watching and notice if we have self-control. Do we eat healthily and respect our bodies or do we get excited over a piece of steak? How do we treat someone that upsets us? Do we hold a grudge and take revenge, or are we more forgiving?

I’ve met people over the years who not only like and respect their parents but have a reverence for them. They talk about their parents being completely different than everyone else; kind, gentle, never get angry, honest, humble…. 

Yes, our children need to respect us no matter what.

Let’s make it easy for them.

Agree?