How to Teach Your Child to Make a True Apology

"We have found in our therapy work that an apology or the lack of one can be pivotal in a relationship and yet we hear the struggles many people experience when they do not make them or may not receive them. What we are referring to are those smaller day-to-day moments when we misstep by saying or doing something hurtful."

"Betty was in therapy with one of us when her 10-year-old son Lucas started feeling socially isolated. An outgoing boy, he had a group of friends who did a lot of things together on weekends. One of the group was his best friend, Thomas. In recent weeks, Lucas was sulky around the house and especially mad at Thomas. Apparently, the group had all gone to see a basketball game over the weekend and none of the boys had told Lucas about it-even Thomas."

Many people of all ages find sincere apologies difficult even when they know they were wrong. Apologies can repair rifts that might otherwise wreck relationships and are pivotal in preserving social and family bonds. Children can be taught that apologizing when wrong is a sign of strength rather than weakness. Everyday missteps—saying or doing something hurtful—often go unaddressed and compound relational strain. Family dynamics can reveal reasons for unkind behavior, such as jealousy or exclusion, and modeling authentic apologies and coaching children in how to apologize can restore connections and teach emotional responsibility.

Read at Psychology Today