[svxistentialist]

I think the most important part of parenting is to show your child that he or she is loved and valued, and by this means, instill in the child a sense of belonging, a sense of being loved, a sense of self-worth.

It is then so much easier to get the kid to see that this worth resides in other children, other people, and so they can understand the need to extend the respect to others. We could learn a lot from our Japanese friends on this.

"Do unto others...."

I don't think parenting is instinctive, or any more easily learned than being a good doctor or plumber or mechanic. Any parents taking their childrearing seriously would do worse than take professional advice on it and read up on anything relevant. If you don't see your mistakes, you're gonna keep on making them...

Joe