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‘I lost my temper. What I said was wrong. I interrupted you. I misunderstood what you were trying to say. I wasn’t listening….’ Mistakes!! They’re everywhere.
As parents, there is a common misconception that we always need to be right and perfect in the eyes of our children. Let’s face it… nobody loves making mistakes. Not owning our feelings, good and bad, can actually make us quite unapproachable and falsely give our kids the impression that they are not good enough in our eyes when they fail, make mistakes, or have big feelings.
Simply saying ‘I’m sorry. I lost my temper. That’s not how I wanted to react’ can powerfully demonstrate to your child that it’s normal to have moments like this.
Here are a few of the ways that admitting fault, taking ownership and sharing how we get through mistakes can be a strong parenting tool. It can have some profound benefits when it comes to your child’s well-being:
- Your child will see that it is OK to make mistakes and to take ownership for them.
- Your child will believe you more when you empathize with them and your bond with them will strengthen.
- Your child will learn that there are sunny days on the other side of rainy ones.
- You won’t have to instruct your child how to be resilient. They will have a great example right in front of them.
- You increase the chances your child will learn from their own mistakes instead of externalizing them.