“I apologize to my kids all the time.

I’m human, and I make mistakes, and I own up to them when I do.

Parenting is hard.

A woman in a blue sweater with text overlay: "Either he's crying or I am."

I don’t remember my parents ever apologizing to me.

“Almost every day.

Anytime I do something wrong as a parent.

A woman wearing a gray sweater sits on a couch comforting a younger girl in a green shirt who is covering her face with her hands

I also don’t want them to believe they can’t apologize when they screw up.”

Did I step on your foot while chasing you?

Did you accidentally spill the milk?

An upset man sits with crossed arms at a dining table, while a woman, holding her head in frustration, and a sad boy sit nearby with food in front of them

I tried to help you but made it worse because we were taking two different steps.

I grew up without my parents really apologizing for anything.

Same with my husband.

A man in casual clothing comforts a young girl who is seated on a couch with her hands covering her face. They both look concerned

His mom still rarely apologizes.

I saw how much this bothered him while dating, and we both agreed to apologize when needed.

By doing this, my kids apologize to everyone without even thinking.”

An older woman with curly hair embraces a younger woman with long blonde hair in a comforting hug, both appearing emotional

“Apologize when it’s crucial that you; its pretty simple.

I remember one time I made a joke about my son.

It must have been too far.

Young girl with a pensive expression, hands on her cheeks, looks at a spilled glass of milk on a kitchen counter, while an adult's hand holds a blue cloth

He very calmly came to me later and said he knew it was a joke but didnt like it.

I could see I hurt him and immediately apologized.

We talked and hugged, and that was all better.

Woman gently touching the head of a sad girl sitting on a couch, with a small dog lying beside them

I make a mistake, I apologize.

My kids are people, too; they deserve respect.”

“I apologize to my kid in every situation where I’d apologize to an adult.

Woman kneeling and talking to a smiling young girl sitting on the floor in a cozy living room

He is nine and apologizes freely, too, and most importantly, without shame!

I really believe the only way to teach a child respect is to model it.”

lexiv

6.

A teacher talks to a young student wearing a shirt with the number 28 in a classroom, while other children are sitting at desks in the background

At any rate, I am now 79 years old, and they are in their 50s.

We are extremely close and are in contact most days.

Im glad they forgave me for my shortcomings as a parent."

A woman lovingly cups the face of a smiling young boy in a sunlit outdoor setting. Trees and greenery fill the background.

“I apologize to my three daughters all the time.

Growing up, I never heard adults apologize.

I also work at a school and constantly encourage teachers and parents to apologize to the kids.

A man with his arm around a sad or thoughtful girl, looking at her with concern as they sit on a couch

Its a continual learning process!

Apologizing to a toddler is a differentanimalthan doing so to a teen.

Thats not something I had in my own childhood, and its a win I absolutely celebrate in theirs!

A woman with long blonde hair looking sad sits at a table while an older woman with short hair gestures emphatically towards her

They follow my lead and work to make things right on their end as well.

Respect goes all ways.”

“I always have apologized.

An adult kneels and adjusts a child's backpack. Both are casually dressed; the child wears jeans and sneakers

10.“Yup!

And I blurted out, ‘Nothing!’

But I did do it.

Woman tucks a sleeping child into bed, gently touching their forehead. A lamp is illuminated on the nightstand

I want her to do the same; how could I do otherwise?”

is-your-oven-on

11.“Yes!

My aunt also has a skewed view where adults are more important than kids.

A woman in a yellow shirt is trying to get the attention of a young man wearing headphones who is looking at a phone. They are seated on a blue couch

“I do apologize to my kids.

anon4hlp

13.

“I apologize to my kids all the time.

An elderly person with glasses and long hair talks expressively on a phone, appearing frustrated or animated, sitting in a living room

I’m human, and I make mistakes, and I own up to them when I do.

wonton_fool

14.

“I apologized today to my 5-year-old.

A man with glasses holds his forehead while looking at a phone. A child is at a desk in the background

I was getting mad at her because her behavior was turning shittier by the hour.

And she doesnt know how to cope with that yet.

So, while she was struggling and getting bolder by the minute, I missed it.

A woman holds a baby in one arm while working on a laptop and holding her head with the other hand, appearing stressed or tired

I talked with her, and she felt better.”

“I will say it leads to interesting interactions.

I have a new 3-year-old.

A woman and a young girl share a moment in the kitchen. The woman wears a striped shirt and the girl sits on the counter holding a spoon

She broke down afterward and told me I used a mean voice and that I should say sorry.

She was a very confused toddler.”

trewlytammy1992

16.

A young girl and an adult woman collaborate at a wooden table. The girl is focused on a laptop while the woman, holding glasses, is writing in a notebook

“Yes, of course!

If something is wrong and it’s definitely my fault, I always apologize to them.

I called her out on it and said she needed to apologize.

That did not sit well with her; she didn’t even respond to me.

So I said, ‘Sooner than later would be appreciated.’

When she came to apologize, you could hear in her tone that she in no way meant it.

I felt so bad for my son.”

“I make it a point to apologize when I exhibit bad behavior or don’t express my feelings.

For example, the other day I was extremely tired and in pain.

This caused me to be kind of grumpy and overall short-tempered.

I was very tired and in pain, and that is why I was being ‘grumpy.’

Same with me and my wife.

We make mistakes; we apologize, explain, and learn from them.”

“My parents did not.

I’ve seen pretty good results for this.

My kids all apologize when they realize they acted in a way that was not okay.

It may take some time; my oldest, nine, will usually take an hour or more.

MrsTurnPage

21.

“When I first apologized to my kid, she was four months old.

My mother-in-law quickly pointed it out and said, ‘You dont apologize to your kids.

You are doing this for her good.’

No wonder our generation of parents has so much anxiety.

We have to continuously unlearn and relearn so many basic things.”

“Ive been apologizing to my son since he was a baby.

After I cooled off, I held him and apologized to him.

I think I said something along the lines of ‘I am so sorry I yelled at you.

Youre just being a baby, and you cant explain your needs to me yet.

I am tired and overwhelmed, but that does not excuse me from yelling at you.’

That helped me get into the habit of admitting when Im wrong to him.

My parents did a lot to me as a child that I never got apologies for.”

manilovefajitas

23.

“I apologize and attempt to own my mistakes.

I model the behavior I want my daughter to learn.

It’s really sweet, to be honest.

I’ll fix this.'

It’s okay.'

She was so sweet and sincere, and my heart melted.”

“Yes, all the time.

Last night I was tired and my daughter asked me a simple question and I snapped back at her.

She smiled and accepted my apology, and we moved on.

Like, you know, two normal human beings!

My parents apologized to me, but only for bigger things.

I think they could have modeled it more.”

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length/clarity.