We teach our children a lot about how to apologize to others. But have we taught them much about how accept Apologize when someone else makes a mistake? Many parents don’t think much about it, and others of all ages don’t know how to properly express and receive an apology in the first place.
On the Hanging For More podcast, hosts and best friends Yasmina Elmerkaoui and Maggie Younan discuss everything that comes to mind. In a recent episode, Elmer Kaoui explained very clearly and succinctly how she teaches children to accept apologies.
“I teach my kids to say, ‘Thank you for apologizing,’ instead of ‘It’s okay,’ because that behavior is bad,” she said candidly. “An apology is welcome, so it also draws a line and reminds you, No, no, no, this won’t work”.
You’ll love the simplicity and authenticity. Not only is this a great reminder to your child that bad behavior will not be accepted, but it also sends a clear message to the person who made the mistake.
“It’s also a reminder to other people in your life that apologies are welcome, but this behavior is bad and I won’t accept it,” she continued.
She added that even though she was the one apologizing, she was asking them to respond in this way.
“They said the same thing to me, like, ‘Thank you for apologizing,'” she continued. “I’ll even pull them up if they say, ‘It’s okay.'” Especially Noah, he’s such a mama’s boy and he’ll say, “Mom, it’s okay, you didn’t do anything wrong.” I said: “No, I did.”
It couldn’t be simpler. “Thank you for your apology” not only allows you to accept the apology, but also allows the other person to take responsibility for their actions. Ta-ta!
In the comments, viewers also added some other great tips for apologizing.
“I meant ‘apology accepted,'” one mom wrote. “They can also say ‘apology not accepted’ if they are still upset.”
Another wise man said: “There is power in saying ‘I forgive you’ when you say it sincerely, but never ‘It’s okay.'”
“I teach my kids to say ‘thank you for saying you’re sorry,'” another parent added. “Bad behavior is not okay.”
“We are taught in school ‘I accept your apology, but please don’t do it again,'” another person wrote.
Girls and women, especially, may automatically say “it’s okay” in order to make the other person feel better. But it’s something we should fight against because it can lead to bad behavior patterns. Teaching our children to respond more thoughtfully can break this cycle.
Watch full episodes of Hanging for More here.
