Raising a nice child in modern society

[TheAshP]

Hello I'm Ashleigh and this is my first post on here I just joined. Me and my partner and expecting our first baby in march next year.

One of my concerns is how to raise them in modern society. I was raised with manners and respect as most of my generation (22y old) who I was at school with were. There's so many reports of bullying and antisocial behaviour nowadays I'm so worried. I've experienced first hand kids around 12 shouting and swearing in the street, and lots of kids nowadays treat their parents like absolute crap with no repercussions.

What I'm trying to say is, is it possible to raise a polite, kind child when they have to go to school and socialise with some really nasty children? I'm not generalising I know a lot of children aren't like that just seems that a lot are like that too. I'm just worried I know I've got a long way to go before that. Just want them to be a person that's going to do good in the world, not a bully, or a vandal or a yob.

Thanks 😁

Well I’m 33 and there were some lovely, well mannered children at school, some ‘yobs’ as you call them and everything in between. I imagine that’s been fairly standard throughout time?
That doesn’t stop you raising them with manners and respect though, regardless of what other parents are doing.

Have you read much older literature at all? There is ample evidence of bullying being rife in the 19th and 20th centuries: the only difference is that nobody reported it because it was assumed that you couldn't do anything about it/this is what children are like/yaddayaddayadda.

You will have to do what parents have always done: set a good example through your own personal behaviour and establish a good enough relationship to your child for them to want to be like you. And pull them up on behaviour that falls short of the mark. There is no other way. There never was.