Has an approach that places children at the center of the educational process, recognizing them as full and worthy human beings. This form of parenting focuses on meeting all of children’s needs, physically and emotionally validating them, fostering their autonomy and enabling them to grow up with a parent/student or teacher/student relationship based on trust and mutual respect. In essence, respectful parenting treats children with the same consideration with which we treat adults, understanding that we must adapt it to their level of development.

One of the fundamental pillars of respectful parenting is respect for the “rights of children”, as established in the United Nations Declaration of the “Rights of the Child”. This document stresses that all children have the right to be treated with dignity, to receive an education that empowers them and to express their views freely. The right to dignity implies not only protecting them from physical or emotional abuse, but also valuing them as individuals who deserve to be heard and understood. Respectful parenting is based on the idea that children have the right to be treated as beings with legitimate emotions and needs, which contributes to their integral development.

Understanding emotions and fostering autonomy

Respectful parenting also places a strong emphasis on understanding children’s emotions.Young children do not always have the words or skills to express what they feel, which can lead to frustration or challenging behaviors.Here, parents play a key role in validating those emotions and teaching children to identify and manage them in a healthy way.

This approach also fosters autonomy, allowing children to make age-appropriate decisions and learn from their own experiences (more on this later in another blog).By allowing them to explore the world at their own pace, we are teaching them that we trust in their abilities, which reinforces their self-esteem and personal security.

Why UN values and respectful parenting are so important?

Because the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child reinforces these principles by emphasizing the right to education, freedom of expression and full and balanced development.

Educating with respect means offering children learning opportunities that stimulate their curiosity and potential, and not imposing rigid expectations or comparisons that limit their personal development. Similarly, the right to freedom of expression is reflected in respectful parenting when we actively listen to our children, allowing them to share their thoughts and emotions, valuing their opinion, and showing them that their voices matter.  

Trust and mutual respect

According to Janet Lansbury, one of the most influential figures in respectful parenting who bases her approach on the RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) philosophy. She tells us that this philosophy promotes unconditional respect for children, seeing them as capable individuals from birth. Lansbury teaches that by observing children with attention and patience, parents can better understand their needs and behaviors. According to Lansbury, the key to respectful parenting is to trust that children have the innate ability to learn, self-regulate and develop, if given the right space and support. By providing them with autonomy and trust, parents create an environment of mutual respect, where the needs of both are balanced harmoniously.

This approach is especially powerful because it promotes a relationship based on trust and mutual respect, moving away from authoritarian or permissive parenting. Parents need not exert excessive control or fear disobedience, because children who grow up in an environment where their emotions and needs are validated tend to develop more balanced and cooperative behavior. 

Tools for emotional well-being

In this context, Manuela Molina from her ¨Mindheart Kids¨ page emerges as an invaluable tool for parents and educators seeking to implement respectful parenting.This platform offers resources designed to help children identify and manage their emotions, promoting their emotional well-being.

 Mindheart Kids provides practical strategies, such as games and activities, that not only teach children to understand their own feelings, but also give them tools to cope with stress or frustration in a healthy way.

The connection between Mindheart Kids and respectful parenting is clear: it’s about empowering children to grow up emotionally strong and confident.When we help children develop their emotional intelligence from an early age, we are paving the way for them to become resilient and empathetic adults, able to face life’s challenges with confidence and serenity.Conclusion

It is very important not to confuse respectful parenting with permissive parenting without rules.

Respectful parenting is not just a fad or an alternative approach; handled in an informed way we see that it is a way of raising children with empathy, respect and awareness, based on fundamental principles of human rights and emotional well-being. 

By recognizing the intrinsic value of each child, we are not only shaping happier, more balanced individuals, but also future adults who will know how to contribute positively to society.

Janet Lansbury’s influence and the tools Mindheart Kids provides remind us that children, when treated with respect and care, flourish to their fullest potential.

*Janet Lansbury :Parenting specialist, RIE parenting educator and student of Magda Gerber, a pioneer in children’s issues, her advice is based not only on formal studies and the research of others, but also on her 20 years of practical experience guiding hundreds of parents and their little ones. “Bad Kids Don’t Exist” is a collection of Janet’s best-selling articles.

*Manuela Molina: Recognized expert in respectful parenting and advocate for children’s rights. Born in Spain, Manuela is a mother of two children and has dedicated much of her life to researching and promoting a parenting approach based on respect and empathy.

She is the author of several books on respectful parenting and has given numerous workshops and conferences around the world. Her approach is based on the idea that children are whole human beings and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect from the moment they are born.founder of Mindheart Kids

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