Learning to say I’m sorry is hard and humbling, but it’s important to admit your failings with your kids. I have written before about asking for forgiveness. What I’m talking about today is slightly different. We all make mistakes in our discipline. We act rashly in anger and threaten to ground them for the rest of their lives. Sometimes we fail to respond at all, and they receive no discipline. While I encourage you to think before you speak,follow through on your threats and be consistent in discipline, I also recognize that we make mistakes in how we handle our children’s behavior. Be able to admit that you were wrong. You might think about things when you are not in the heat of the moment and realize you made the wrong decision. You may need to say to your kids, “I’m sorry I said you aren’t allowed to use your bike for a year because you keep leaving it on the driveway. I thought about it and decided that consequence wasn’t fair. We are going to take it away for three days. Every time you leave it laying in the driveway, it will disappear for three days. Sorry I overreacted the first time. I was frustrated.” It can work the other way too. “I’m sorry I didn’t respond properly when you disobeyed me the first time. I didn’t follow through on any consequence for that behavior. That was the wrong thing, and I know I need to give a consequence so you can learn how to obey. I have thought about it, and your consequence is going to be…” Being about to think about things rationally and come calmly and humbly to ask your child for forgiveness while correcting your own behavior can be a huge lesson for them.
