You may think that asking your child for forgiveness when you’ve made a mistake is a sign of weakness that can lead to a loss of respect and authority in the eyes of your child. You couldn’t be more wrong.
Children do realize when you make mistakes. When you know you’ve made a mistake or committed an injustice, the best thing to do is to discuss it and to ask for forgiveness from your child. Children will understand, will respect you more and learn that humans are imperfect and as a result, they will learn they don’t have to be perfect.
Your children love you, know you and understand you more than you can imagine. Put aside your kid’s temper tantrum, your teen’s rebellious behavior, and see your child as the person whose approval means the world to you. Respect the unconditional love between you two by asking for forgiveness when you lose your patience, when you contradict yourself, or when in the whirlwind of work and chores you forget to follow through on something you have committed to with your child.
When you ask for forgiveness you teach your child that a parent’s role is to love, respect, care for and protect a child, not to have power and authority over her. One day they too will be mothers and will also make mistakes. Teach them through your humility that they have not failed if they are not perfect, that being a parent is a great but difficult thing, and that if they make mistakes and own their mistakes, one day their own children will forgive them, too.