Educator Esther Sultan Highlights Importance of Honoring Parents for Family Wellbeing

Esther Sultan, an educator and workshop facilitator specializing in parental respect and family awareness, spoke with Dr. Hana Katan about the significance of honoring parents in today’s culture. Sultan argues that despite the prevalent public discourse focusing on childhood traumas and parental blame, maintaining respect for parents is crucial not only as a moral or religious duty but as a foundational element for healthier lives, stronger marriages, and more resilient families.

Sultan notes a cultural shift where children increasingly criticize parents, and parents themselves often carry guilt and insecurity about their parenting. This shift has led to diminished appreciation for parents, even as they invest more in their children than before. She emphasizes that honoring parents should not depend on their perfection or behavior but on the individual’s internal attitude, which profoundly influences personal stability and family dynamics.

Drawing from her experience with hundreds of families, Sultan explains that improving relationships with parents positively affects couples’ relationships and child-rearing. She distinguishes between external actions and internal mindset, stressing that true respect is an emotional stance rather than mere behavior. Sultan illustrates this with an example of a woman who improved her relationship with her parents by adopting humility instead of trying to correct them.

Sultan also extends this principle to in-laws, stating that respecting a partner’s parents strengthens the couple’s bond. While acknowledging complex family situations that require sensitive handling, she believes individuals can always choose how to respond and transform their role in family relationships. She uses the metaphor of a love flow between parents and children, sometimes blocked by "stones" that, once removed, allow love to return naturally.

Concerned about the normalization of parental criticism in public discourse, Sultan warns that the way current generations speak about their elders influences how their children will speak about them. She hopes to see parental respect become a common topic alongside child education, helping families heal old wounds and build better futures.