Have you ever heard the word, “sorry” said without a shred of authenticity by a young child? If so, you’re not alone.

Here’s a wise piece of counsel from the folks at Parenting is Heart Work:

To avoid having children say one thing (I’m sorry) while feeling something different in their hearts, we encourage children to say, “I was wrong for… Will you forgive me?” This statement doesn’t require an emotion but is an act of the will. A child should be required to take responsibility for an offense whether it was provoked or not.

Do you want to teach authenticity as well as reconciliation? This is a great simple step in that direction.

(This gem came from a Parenting Tip email. If you’re interested, you can subscribe here. I find it to be the most consistently helpful parenting email available.)