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Do you hesitate to say Sorry to your child? We expect the best behaviour from our children, but are we modelling it for them?
This post is written as part of the Women’s Web #MomsForABetterWorld initiative. Learn more!
Kids are amazing. They are just open to learning anything, I feel! In the first few years after birth is the time when they try to imitate people and learn a lot with rhythm and repetition. So this is our best chance to teach them all the good habits if we want something to stay with them for their life.
But…of course, the first few years of life are also the most difficult to handle – no reasoning, and tantrums galore! Hence the trick is to make a habit/behaviour/lesson more repetitive, in whichever situation possible with firmness and love. By repetitive – I mean not just telling them as a speech, but you being the example – by actually doing it!
I want my child to respect all relationships in life without discriminating or judging people. To treat and mingle with others the way they deserve to be treated – nothing more and nothing less. To make this world a beautiful and peaceful place to live in, by seeing what makes people lovable. Not being egoistic or losing self-respect! To say thank you when they are genuinely touched by someone’s gesture or help. To say Sorry when they really feel that they are at fault and try not to repeat it and correct themselves.
I do this all the time with my child so that he understands by repetition. I say thank you whenever he shows concern when I’m feeling down or not well. I say thank you when he helps me with anything in the home. I say thank you whenever he understands what I said and reciprocates. One day, after finishing his snacks, he suddenly said “Thank you for the carrot cheese dosa mumma!” I was taken by surprise with joyful tears even though it was just a small thing!
I do say sorry after a fight, if the reason for me being mad at him is only my own frustration and not being able to understand that he is still a kid. I do say sorry, if I find out that it’s not that he is not responding to me, but in fact he was busy doing something to bring a smile on my face. And I do say sorry if I go late to pick him up from the school!
He just started saying ‘I’m so sorry’ sometimes when I ignore him for a while and look upset after a tantrum, and sometimes when I do a mock crying session when he hurts me while being hyper.
I make it a habit now and do not leave an opportunity to say thank you and to say sorry. After all, we do expect these from others. Our kids are the adults of tomorrow so we will definitely expect this from them, but in that ‘tomorrow’, we will hardly need to worry if we had taken care of these things during their childhood.
This post is written as part of the Women’s Web #MomsForABetterWorld initiative. Our #MomsForABetterWorld video is coming up soon, on May 10th, Mother’s Day.
There are just a few days left for you to be a part of this video, and you can do this in one of 3 easy ways:
One, Video. Mail us at [email protected] a short (30 sec) video of yourself talking about one message you’d like to give your child to create a better world. Don’t be scared – we don’t need professional quality video! Candid, from-the-heart will do.
Two, Photo. Upload a selfie of yourself with your child, and add on your message to your child about creating a better world.
Three, Tweet. If you are on Twitter, simply tweet your message to your child with the #MomsForABetterWorld hashtag, and we may include it in the video with your name!
Mom & Child hugging image via Shutterstock
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