How To Teach A Kid To Apologise And Mean It

Apologies can be hard but when kids hurt someone else’s feelings, it is important that they realise it and express sorrow immediately. There may be times when your child would say “Sorry” but their behaviour remains the same. This is why it’s important to teach a kid how to apologise and make him/her understand that apologies should help mend a connection and not just be about saying some words.

But how do we teach kids to say sorry and really mean it? Read on for a few ideas.

Help Your Child To Manage His Emotions

Your child may need some time to understand that she is accountable for an action she did not do right. Children might get defensive about their actions when asked to apologise so let them know it’s nothing to feel embarrassed about and why they need to apologise. Let your child know that it takes courage to accept one’s mistake.

Give Your Child The Chance To Apologise in Their Own Way

Your child might not want to apologise right away. So give them some time to calm down, which might usually be the case for older kids.  You can also encourage them to apologise in their own way, including giving a hug, a flower, or even a handwritten note. What matters is that your child is willing to say sorry and understands his or her mistake.

Handle it Patiently

It is not a good idea to fall into two extremes – don’t get too defensive about your child’s actions or blame one child and support the other child. You will usually hear a lot of “he did it” or “she started it”. Try to remain calm in such situations and explain that both of them have to apologise to each other. If your child feels upset afterwards, explain to him/her that conflict happens between two people and makes both of them equally responsible. So even if it did not start because of your child, it is still important to apologise.

Guide Your Child to Apologise The Right Way

Start teaching your kid the different components of apologising the right way, because a good apology is not just muttering the word under their breath.

• Tell your little one to make eye contact while apologising
• Encourage your child to express what they did wrong and why they are apologising. 
• You can encourage your child to end the apology with a promise of doing better in the future.
• To ensure that his mistake has been forgiven, your child can follow up with a question.
• Encourage your child to learn to use the correct tone of voice when apologising. The tone of saying ‘I’m sorry’ should be soft so they know what sounds genuine.

Guide your child to learn the real art of apology as it is beneficial for their own social and emotional well-being. It is a virtue that will be useful in the future and remain with them throughout their life.