Be a better parent - Day 26 - How to say sorry

So I'll make like a mom of almost four and not ask you if you got any sleep because I know that's the dreaded question that no one really likes to be asked, however, if it's a matter of you making a decision to go to bed early rather than you having to deal with a sleep-fighting kid, then I hope you did try to get to bed a little earlier. Even a committment to going to bed 30 minutes early every night.

Now let's talk a bit about apologies - not yours (which are important) but the ones your kids need to make. Usually this happens between siblings around my place, and while I'm pretty vigilant about making them use an appropriate tone and look the person in the eye, as well as explain what they're apologizing. But earlier this summer, I heard a mom use a brilliant dialogue with her son (I wrote about it before because I thought it was so great), and I'm trying to be more consistent about implementing this.

Challenge #26: How to say sorry

So, the story goes that this mom and I were at the pool while our kids were taking swim lessons, and prior to them starting, her son tossed a flipper in the direction of a college girl sitting on the side reading a book. It wasn't purposeful but it landed right near her and sort of splashed some water up.

The mom called her son over and asked him the following questions:

a) What could have happened?

b) What do you need to do to make this right?

I love this so much, mostly because I think it's so important for kids (particularly when they are at the age to do so, mind you) to understand the reasoning behind an apology, and to learn something from what happened.

Pretty cool, huh?

Comments

[Catriona Harris]

That is a great tactic!

[Korinthia Klein]

Very cool. Thank you so much for sharing that!