How to Apologize to Your Kids
Grab Opportunities to be Wrong & Apologize to Your Kids!
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” (Alexander Pope, “Essay on Criticism”)
As parents, shouldn’t we be our child’s perfect example and ideal role model? Absolutely not! As the idiom states, to err or be wrong is human. Why then would we or should we pretend to be perfect in front of our children? It is actually an extremely powerful and effective tool for parents to take every opportunity to point out to their own kids when they are incorrect about something. Trust me; they respect you more for that. If you try to cover up your weaknesses, they will eventually figure it out and doubt you.
When you make a mistake, apologize. For instance, we are teaching our toddler to cover his face when he coughs or sneezes. Of course, he inevitable caught us occasionally forgetting to cover up here or there. The response: “I’m sorry. You are right. I forgot to cover up and that was a mistake. Thank you for reminding me to do that. I really appreciate it.” Sounds funny talking to a toddler in that manner, doesn’t it? Yet, it works! You are holding yourself to the exact same values and principles that you expect from your children. There cannot be a double standard. We don’t get a pass as adults. “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Most importantly, by apologizing to your children when you are in the wrong, you allow them to develop the ability to forgive and empathize by cultivating their emotional intelligence.
