Wholehearted Parents
Where great parents go for hope, advice, and inspiration!!!
Where great parents go for hope, advice, and inspiration!!!
Wholehearted Parents
Where great parents go for hope, advice, and inspiration!!!
Where great parents go for hope, advice, and inspiration!!!
The Power of Saying "I'm Sorry" To Your Children
By Richard Jarman
"I'm sorry." Two short words that can carry a huge impact. These two words can dissolve anger and mend relationships. Everyone recognizes that a sincere apology is tremendously powerful. So why is it so hard for parents to apologize to their children?
It can't be because we parents are perfect. We make big parenting blunders. We yell for no good reason. We punish too harshly because we're angry. We discipline before we really know what's going on. We act out of fatigue or selfish motives. In these and a thousand other ways, every parent does things they regret later.
So why is it so hard to say we're sorry? One reason may be that we know how important it is for children to have a consistent, authoritative voice in their lives. Parents feel like admitting our failures may somehow diminish our authority.
In fact, just the opposite is true. It is very important that we acknowledge our parenting mistakes, and ask for our kids' forgiveness. It actually enhances our relationship with our children. It can also teach them some important lessons about life. Here are five lessons kids learn when parents say I'm sorry:
Apologizing to your children doesn't diminish your authority as a parent. It enhances it.
Maybe most importantly, it teaches kids that they affect people with the things they say and do. Their words and actions can harm people. But their words also can bring love and healing into their lives, and the lives of those around them.
So, next time you make a parenting blunder (and if you’re anything like me, it won’t be long), remember that two little words can make a big difference. Remember to say, “I’m sorry.”
By Richard Jarman
"I'm sorry." Two short words that can carry a huge impact. These two words can dissolve anger and mend relationships. Everyone recognizes that a sincere apology is tremendously powerful. So why is it so hard for parents to apologize to their children?
It can't be because we parents are perfect. We make big parenting blunders. We yell for no good reason. We punish too harshly because we're angry. We discipline before we really know what's going on. We act out of fatigue or selfish motives. In these and a thousand other ways, every parent does things they regret later.
So why is it so hard to say we're sorry? One reason may be that we know how important it is for children to have a consistent, authoritative voice in their lives. Parents feel like admitting our failures may somehow diminish our authority.
In fact, just the opposite is true. It is very important that we acknowledge our parenting mistakes, and ask for our kids' forgiveness. It actually enhances our relationship with our children. It can also teach them some important lessons about life. Here are five lessons kids learn when parents say I'm sorry:
Apologizing to your children doesn't diminish your authority as a parent. It enhances it.
Maybe most importantly, it teaches kids that they affect people with the things they say and do. Their words and actions can harm people. But their words also can bring love and healing into their lives, and the lives of those around them.
So, next time you make a parenting blunder (and if you’re anything like me, it won’t be long), remember that two little words can make a big difference. Remember to say, “I’m sorry.”
| · | It's OK to be imperfect. It's the one trait that’s shared by every human being. When you apologize to your kids, you're showing them that blowing it doesn't make you evil or worthless. It just makes you human. |
| · | Mom and dad are human too. This is especially important as our kids become parents themselves. We've taught them that even great parents make mistakes. What comfort it will be to them, realizing they don't need to be perfect to raise terrific kids! |
| · | Unkind words and wrong actions hurt people. Some families pretend that hurtful words and actions never happened, or that they didn't really hurt. When you apologize, you take responsibility for the hurt you caused. It's a powerful way to teach your kids a lesson in personal accountability. |
| · | The healing power of forgiveness. The act of forgiving someone can restore broken relationships. By apologizing when you've done something wrong, you give your kids the opportunity to forgive you. Forgiveness is powerful. Kids must learn to forgive freely and completely, especially around people they love. |
| · | Don't wait to make things right. It's an awful thing, to let days, months, even years go by, estranged from someone you love. Apologize to your kids as soon as you realize you were wrong. That teaches kids that now is always the right time to restore a relationship. That's true, whether you're the offender or the offended. |