Being little means having little dignity?

I was at a forum yesterday, replying to a post of Positive Parenting.

I came across a quote from a mommy who says, "Little children have little dignity". This quote disturbs me a great deal, and I can't help but feel sorry for the child of that mommy. Does being little means having little dignity?

For me, I am in favour of respecting my child, no matter how little she is. At birth, the only thing they probably know is to sleep and cry for milk. Infants may not have much emotions and a lot of their crying are due to basic needs like need to be fed etc. Well, can you deny the fact that at this point, you are already at their mercy, at their beck and call. And you think, 'no due respect should be given to infants at this stage'?

As Ariel got older, her character and temperaments begin to show. I know how persistent she is in the need to touch every single thing she lay her eyes on. Though many a time, I must confess that I gave in becoz I cannot stand the whining, I thought that maybe I need to respect that curiosity of hers, if it does not pose any danger to her, of course. After all, being curious is not a crime, is it? But with that being said, limits still need to be set, for areas of danger of course.

I believe respecting a child, no matter how old they are, is a first step parents should take if they want to gain the respect of their child ultimately. Parents of rebellious teenagers wonder where they've gone wrong... Being an extremely rebellious teenager once, I can tell you it all started becoz parents think you're too little to know or to understand...