Search Results for: blog learning to make amends

Learning to Make Amends

Many of us parents start the process of teaching our children how to say they are “sorry” from a rather early age. Teaching, coaching and modeling how to apologize for misdeeds and mishaps can be challenging enough, teaching our children how to actually make amends for things they have done can be a developmental task that takes more time and effort. As children get older, it is important that they learn that sometimes it just isn’t enough to “say they are sorry.” Some deeds–like those where they have hurt another person or committed a crime–require that children learn how to … Continue reading →

Happy Kids: Mission Impossible?

You’re familiar with the saying, “Happy wife, happy life,” but have you found the key to fostering that happiness? According to a new survey, happy kids beget happy moms/wives which beget happy husbands/dads. The equation seems simple enough until you factor in life’s discomforts, hardships and disappointments. I’d love for my child to be happy 24/7.  What parent wouldn’t?  After all, nothing makes most moms and dads happier than to see their children in high spirits. My own 8-year-old would love for her entire family to be happy every minute of every day and is visibly uncomfortable when that idealistic … Continue reading →

Saying Things You Regret

Yesterday, I wrote about different ways of coping with the typical anger and frustration that parenting can bring. Of course, we are not all perfect and as flawed human beings we don’t always handle things with our children as we would like to. There are those times when we have outbursts or we say things we either immediately regret, or come to regret later on. What can be done about those times when we let slip things we wish we hadn’t? Many of us parents have the best of intentions, yet we mess up and do things we regret. It … Continue reading →

Lessons in Apologies

I have never been the type of parent to force my kids to apologize regardless–as in “Say you’re sorry” whether they had come to the conclusion that they were actually sorry or not. Instead, I have preferred to try to help them see the other side of things and experience remorse on their own terms, then tried to give them ways to make amends and right some of those wrongs. Over the years, however, I have found there are a dozen ways to apologize (at least) and parenthood provides endless opportunities to learn lessons in apologies… While I was pretty … Continue reading →

Can You Be Too Apologetic?

I have written lately about how we naturally make mistakes as we go through life–particularly as they pertain to our home-based businesses. It got me to thinking about making apologies and amends and I remembered learning years ago that in the workplace one should only apologize once for a mistake, attempt to fix it, and then move on. I wondered if this “rule” still works when applied to our home businesses? It is one thing to own up to mistakes and make every attempt to make things right. It is quite another to be so apologetic as to appear weak … Continue reading →

So, You Messed Up, Now What?

Mistakes happen. Bloopers, disasters, big messes, oops…all of these are fairly common occurrences and, just because you are operating a home business and attempting to do everything just so—this does not mean you are exempt from making mistakes. So, you’ve made a big mess or an enormous mistake—now what? You can either run or hide from your mistake or choose to face it. Chances are, if you are a sole proprietor, running your own small home business, there is no one else to cover for you or face your blooper for you so it just comes down to you and … Continue reading →

Wisdom Is Learned Through Experience

Several years ago, I was taught that wisdom is different from knowledge and understanding. I was told that wisdom is something that can only be learned individually through personal experience. This means that wisdom doesn’t come from a book or through information that someone else tells you—you have to learn, feel and experience some of life’s wisest lessons on your own. As a parent, it can be mighty tough to allow our children the space and support to develop their own lessons for wisdom. I have often wondered what’s the point of my having learned so much and been through … Continue reading →

Moral Challenges for Young Children

One of our jobs as parents is to pass on some moral and ethical training for our children. This can be tough when they are young and may not developmentally be able to grasp the moral implications of some of their actions. A prime example of this can be “sharing”–it seems to be one of those things we start working on when our children are tiny and it can be a really tough moral lesson to learn. As a matter of fact, it seems to be one of those childhood lessons that needs be learned and re-learned! I thought I … Continue reading →