Every parent messes up. We say things we don’t mean. We yell at our kids because we are tired. We sometimes blame our children for things they never did. We may accuse our children of behaving badly when that was never there intention. In all these situations we can and should say we are sorry.
When we say we are sorry to our children we are role modeling for them what to do when they mess up and hurt someone’s feelings. We are showing them that everyone is human, we all slip-up and that a heartfelt “I’m sorry” is a great way to correct the mistakes that we make. Children who are not fearful of making mistakes and have ways to manage their blunders are more confident and responsible.
For those of us who have a hard time saying we are sorry, here are some examples of what to say:
“I am sorry I yelled before, I was tired and seeing the mess set me off………” “I am sorry I accused you of leaving the milk out, I should have given you the benefit of the doubt.” “I am sorry I hurt your feelings, I overreacted before, when it gets really busy and noisy here, I sometimes say things that I shouldn’t.”
When parents say they’re sorry to their kids, we are teaching them an effective tool that they can use with us, their friends, teachers, future spouses and children.
