“Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has those days.”
We reference these lyrics regularly in our home because kids need to realize that things don’t always work out. Things happen, both big and small that can throw a seemingly lock-solid plan into disarray. We want our kiddos to realize this possibility.
As Plum and Bluey grow, we find we also need to utilize an additional phrase:
That was my fault.
This is a simple, factual acknowledgement of responsibility for an error. It’s a phrase we could stand to hear more often from co-workers, friends, and leaders– as well as our own kids. It’s the step after the simple “I’m sorry”, where you claim ownership for what went awry. So we’re working to use it at home when appropriate, in the hope that our children will catch on to it.
“Sorry, Bluey! It was my fault for promising we’d play outside today when I hadn’t checked the weather forecast.”
“Sorry Plum! That was my fault for not watching where I was going and bumping into you.”
We think it is important to teach children to not just be able to handle adversity, but to know it’s okay to admit that sometimes it’s our fault when things go wrong. You should just own it.
And then you should move on. Lingering over what went wrong doesn’t do anyone any good.