There is no greater gift a person can give his children than to be mechanech them by example to accept and learn from everyone. Never to speak disparagingly about others. To the contrary, to respect everyone, and always seek to learn from everyone. Shalom bayis is a tremendous aspect of this: When a person shows respect to his spouse, it serves as a very great example to his children in bittul and respect. These examples seep into his children, and they would in turn be respectful to their own parents and peers.
When a person respects his spouse unconditionally, he can then expect his children to do the same—the greatest chinuch exercise that can be. If a person doesn’t give respect to others, he can’t demand it from his children... causing a tremendous lost opportunity.
We will put it this way: One cannot give all gifts to his children. Can one give his children parnassah? Can he give them long life? Can he give them success or satisfaction? No, he cannot. Everyone must go through the journey that Hashem has ordained for him. But a parent can give them the tools. He can teach them how to accept, and how to behave when things don’t go our way. To have bittul.
No Questions
Indeed, this is the gift we can give to our children—bequeathing to them the vessels that can later be filled with everything good... shefah, hatzlachah, and yiras Shamayim, and all the good in the world. If Chazal told us that “one must not prevent his student from serving him,” then surely a father must not prevent his child from learning the art of bittul... to teach him to respect others, to teach him to respect the opinions of others and the conduct of others.
