Admitting Parental Mistakes & Apologizing for Them

I'm sorry...... those two tiny little words carry an enormous amount of weight and for some reason are incredibly hard to say for some parents.

After all, we are human. It is inevitable that we're going to make mistakes. Just because we also happen to be parents does not mean we know all the answers and will always get things right.
There will inevitably come a day when we goof up. We may say something out of anger to our ADHD/LD child and immediately regret it. Or, we may correct him a little too harshly for something that wasn't quite as serious as we'd first believed. If this happens, apologizing to your child will go a long way in helping to heal the hurt he feels. You'd do the same for your best friend or sibling wouldn't you? So why not offer the same apology and remorse to your child?

Your child will then see you as a person and not just a parent. You will teach him/her that mistakes are inevitable and that apologizing for them is the proper thing to do. You will gain respect from your child as well. He will understand that you are living what you teach. He will see that you expect the same behavior out of yourself that you expect out of him...honesty, humility and sincerity.

The next time you make a mistake, big or small, buck up and admit it to your child. Say you are sorry and offer a loving embrace. Your child will feel better and so will you.