- Apologize easily and often, including for small “Oops” moments that are not a big deal, but just part of life. “Oops! Sorry I interrupted you.” Any time you act in a way that you wouldn’t want your child to act is a time when you need to consider apologizing. Obviously, don’t apologize for setting appropriate limits. But it’s our job to manage our own emotions, no matter what our child does, so apologizing when we “lose it” is essential, unless we want our child to copy our “tantrums.”
- If your child thinks it’s a big deal, acknowledge that, even if you don’t think it is.“I told you I would get you a new notebook when I went to the store, and then I completely forgot. I’m so sorry. I know you were counting on me to come home with the notebook.”
- Describe what happened.“We were all so upset, right? You were yelling. Then I started yelling. And you started crying. I’m sorry if I scared you. I was very upset, but it’s my job to manage my own emotions. Yelling is no way to work something out with someone you love.” Be sure your apology acknowledges the effect of your action on your child.
- Resist the urge to blame. Many of us start to apologize and then veer into excusing ourselves because the child was in the wrong. Sure, I yelled — but you deserved it! We all know, though, that two wrongs don’t make a right. Besides, we’re the adult. It’s our job to be the role model.
- It’s okay to explain, but don’t ruin a good apology by making excuses for your behavior. “I had such a hard day, and I couldn’t deal with one more thing going wrong. So I yelled at you. But that’s no excuse. No one deserves to be yelled at, ever.”
- Model accountability by taking responsibility for whatever you can in a given situation. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to help you two work this out.” You’re not blaming yourself. You ARE sorry you weren’t there. And your taking even a small share of the responsibility will help them step up and apologize themselves.
- Give yourself a do-over if appropriate. “Sorry, Sweetie, I didn’t mean to snap at you. Let me try that again. Here’s what I meant to say…”
- Make a plan for repair. “Tell you what. We’ll stop by the store on the way to school in the morning to get your notebook.” This is an essential part of any apology:“What can I do to make this right?”
- Make a plan for next time. Your child will learn a lot if you ask her what you could do differently next time and discuss it without getting defensive. Then, make a commitment. “Next time I will Stop, Drop and Breathe to calm down.” Then just do it. If someone you loved hurt you repeatedly and apologized every time, you’d stop believing the apologies sooner or later. They’re only meaningful if you know the person will really try to avoid repeating the behavior.
- Ask the child if they’re ready to reconcile.This can be as simple as “I hope you’ll forgive me.”It helps the child make the emotional leap to let go of resentment and reconnect emotionally. Don’t force this; children should not feel pressured to “forgive” before they feel ready. Some parents resist this step because they feel they’re handing their power to the child, who might withhold forgiveness. But if the child isn’t ready to forgive, you want to know that, so you can help them resolve whatever upset they’re still holding onto from the interaction.
…it’s our job to manage our own emotions, no matter what our child does, so apologizing when we “lose it” is essential, unless we want our child to copy our “tantrums.”
Notice there’s no shame, no blame. Instead, focus on making things better with your child. It takes courage to admit you were wrong, and to ask for forgiveness. But it makes you a better parent, and it raises healthier children, who value relationships and can take responsibility. Isn’t it time we dropped the legacy of shame that gets attached to apologies?
Find the original article here.
Dr. Laura Markham is the author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings: How To Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends For Life and Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How To Stop Yelling and Start Connecting. Find her online at AhaParenting.com
