Parents Should Apologize To Their Kids. Here’s The Right Way To Do It. 

Remember, you’re modeling good behavior.

Kids look to their parents as examples of how to behave and interact with the world. 

“When parents apologize to their children, not only is it kind, empathetic and validating, but most importantly, it is role modeling,” Groner said. “When parents apologize, we are saying ‘Hey! I make mistakes. I don’t always do the right thing. I’m not perfect.’ In a way, we are communicating to our children that it’s OK for them to do the same.”

Apologize to your child the way you hope they would apologize to you or someone else. 

Apologizing with grace and humility shows kids how to take ownership and accountability for their mistakes and be a good friend or family member. 

“When as parents we apologize to our children, we demonstrate that they too have real thoughts, feelings and needs, and that no one is above the concept of apologizing to another when they’ve made a mistake,” Chaudhary said. “This is especially important for kids to see in their teen years, as they start to explore their own identities and discover who they are, and how they want to show up in the world.”