One of the biggest obstacles that kids have these days is learning how to say they are sorry. And not just say they are sorry without meaning or adding in qualifications. One of the issues that many parents complain about is that their kids do not really know who to say sorry and mean it. While we often overlook behavioral issues or accidents from those children who are young, it is never too young to start encouraging kids to be apologetic when something happens that they are to blame for.
With this being said, we have highlighted three ways in which you can truly encourage your child to say they are sorry and mean it!
Be Aware of those “I’m Sorry, but…” Statements
How many parents have heard one child say to the other, “I’m sorry, but you deserved it because you took my toy!” This is not apologizing in a way that sounds like the child is sorry. Instead, you want the child to make the statement that they are sorry and how they will change their behavior next time in this situation. Why do you want kids to do this? Because, this is going to allow the child to be accountable for their actions and help with their decision-making process!
When in Trouble, Apologies Should be Included
Whenever a child gets in trouble at daycare or at school, parents often provide some form of punishment to deter this behavior again. For some parents, it may mean taking away the television or the video games. For other parents, they take away a certain activity that the child loves away. However, an apology should be included with the punishment. Whether the child writes a letter of apology to a teacher or simply goes and tells the person that they are sorry, it is important that you instill a sense of apology in the child.
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Always Take your Time
One of the biggest issues that parents deal with in these types of situations is that they immediately respond to the child’s behavior instead of thinking about what has been done, why it was done and the like. Parents should always take some time to think about the scenario and what would be best to do that is going to teach the best lesson to the child. It can be tempting to get upset with the child, but it is best to keep your cool!