Apologizing to Your Kid: Should You Do It?

Is Apologizing to Your Kid a Defeat?

Being a parent is hard! Nothing in the world can strain one’s mental fortitude like the demands of parenthood. You’re going to lose your cool sometimes! And when you blow up on your kid it never feels good.

So how do you deal with it when you go off? Remember this: in a family conflict situation that gets out of control there can not be a winner. If there’s a winner, that means someone loses. You have to heal together with your family, otherwise everyone suffers.

The First Rule of Apologizing Is…

Apologizing to your kid is not admitting defeat!! Remember, we’re not trying to “win” anyway, right? A good apology is about acknowledging your child’s feelings and making them feel seen. And guess what? When you apologize, you’re modeling for your child how to do it. That’s a skill that will help them their whole lives!

Want to find out exactly how to go about apologizing to your kid? We’ll teach you in this Tips on Teens video, and we’re not sorry about it!

“Sometimes I lose it with my kids. I try really hard not to, but every once in a while they drive me nuts and I end up snapping at them or yelling. I hate that feeling. When It happens, I feel like I should probably say I’m sorry to them. I’m usually so annoyed that it’s hard to think of the right words to explain why I’m mad, and I’m worried it will just turn into an argument. Then the moment passes and it’s just easier to let it go. How should I be handling it?”