Search Results for: saying sorry

Saying Sorry is Hard to Do

Teaching a child the three humble words, “I am sorry”, is not always the easiest lesson. Children are inherently egocentric and see only damage done to themselves or their ego. A child recognizes when they are due an apology but does not always feel they owe an apology. Even if a child does understand the need for their apology they often become shy about uttering the simple words. Prying an apology out of a child’s mouth can be like prying a bone from a dog. Why an apology is hard to give: Pride: Do not underestimate a child’s sense of … Continue reading →

Preschool Etiquette: Saying You are Sorry

Teaching a child the three humble words, “I am sorry”, is not always the easiest lesson. Children are inherently egocentric and see only damage done to themselves or their ego. A child recognizes when they are due an apology but does not always feel they owe an apology. Even if a child does understand the need for their apology they often become shy about uttering the simple words. Prying an apology out of a child’s mouth can be like prying a bone from a dog. Why an apology is hard to give: Pride: Do not underestimate a child’s sense of … Continue reading →

Ways of Saying ‘I’m Sorry.’

Different people have different ways of saying, ’I’m sorry.’ Some people don’t seem to ever be able to manage to say the words. They might choose instead to make their apology by bringing flowers. Mick is not much of a flower person, perhaps because we’ve seen too many movies where the guy brings flowers not because he’s sorry after an argument but because he’s feeling guilty because he’s having an affair. So for us, flowers tend to be more equated with guilt and other motives. Others might bring some other gift that is a peace offering. Others will simply say … Continue reading →

Saying I’m Sorry

Saying “I’m sorry” is a difficult thing for many children to learn. Yet it is extremely important. Saying “I’m sorry” means that your child recognizes that they have done something wrong or hurt someone and that they accept responsibility for their actions. By about age two your child is old enough to say, “I’m sorry.” When your child does something that they shouldn’t have, prompt them to say, “I’m sorry.” They will probably not understand the full implication of the word, but realize that it is what you say when you have hurt someone. Sometimes children can be really stubborn. … Continue reading →

Love Means Saying You are Sorry!

I’m sure that many of us have heard the expression (was it a book, movie, song title?) ”Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” I’d like to know how well the person who came up with that one got along with his wife and family! In Jewish life, this period which falls between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is the season for saying you are sorry. We spend a lot of time apologizing to G-d during these weeks: in the special Selichos prayers we say before Rosh Hashana and on the holidays themselves and the intervening days. It is … Continue reading →

Saying You’re Sorry

I think one of the most difficult things for any of us to do is to admit when we’re wrong. It might be that we believe we are right or it might be that our spirit becomes too prideful to humble ourselves to say those simple words, “I’m sorry.” It’s also difficult to say you’re sorry to someone who might not appreciate that you are. Sometimes the person we’ve offended is prideful themselves and we don’t want to say we’re sorry just to have it taken as a point of weakness. Regardless of the reasons for one’s resistance, we have … Continue reading →

Better Safe Than Sorry

With the economy still in the dumpster and job loss at a record high, it’s no surprise that parents across the country are doing whatever they can to pinch pennies. In addition to cutting back on family vacations, dining out and throwing mega-parties for their kids, a new survey found that an increasing number of moms and dads are shopping at consignment stores or accepting hand-me-down items from church groups, neighbors and friends. Recycling gently used children’s gear is a great way to save money; however, experts warn that not all hand-me-downs are safe, and they are warning parents to … Continue reading →

Saying “No” to Unreasonable Expectations

We do not have to do it all. There, I’ve said it again (I know for a fact that I have stated this mantra before). As single parents, we might be tempted to get roped in to trying to meet other’s unreasonable expectations—we are so determined to do a good job and juggle our responsibilities that it may not dawn on us that we are being asked to take on too much or expected to take on inappropriate problems, tasks, or situations. This is where we have to learn how to just say “No.” I know full well that it … Continue reading →

“I’m Not Sorry I Did It”

We want our children to feel remorse. For some reason, we parents tend to think if we just hear them say that they are sorry, they will feel remorse and be less likely to do something in the future. Some parents even use the “say your sorry” as part of a disciplining process. When a child is able to end a time out, for example, she has to make apology to the wounded party. Inevitably, however, you are going to hear an outspoken and honest child announce, “But I’m NOT sorry I did it!” Then what? I have been blessed … Continue reading →

Saying Things You Regret

Yesterday, I wrote about different ways of coping with the typical anger and frustration that parenting can bring. Of course, we are not all perfect and as flawed human beings we don’t always handle things with our children as we would like to. There are those times when we have outbursts or we say things we either immediately regret, or come to regret later on. What can be done about those times when we let slip things we wish we hadn’t? Many of us parents have the best of intentions, yet we mess up and do things we regret. It … Continue reading →