Why I Don't Make My Kids Say I'm Sorry (and What We Do Instead)

Hey friends,

They say not to send emails on Fridays because people are less likely to open and read them.

But if you're reading this, I guess we just proved them wrong.

Honestly, I wonder how many of the people making those rules are actually parents with jobs, spouses, kids, chores, and a dozen other things going on (like you and I do).

So... sorry for emailing you on a Friday.

Or am I? 😉

It's August 1 as I write this. (Yes, really. I didn’t write this weeks ago and auto-schedule it. I wish I were that on top of things.) Anyway—August is here. Summer is still going strong, but let’s be real: the kids are kinda getting tired of each other, and we’re kinda getting tired of them getting tired of each other.

And that means more sibling drama. More fights. More eye-roll-filled, mumbled “I’m sorry”s that everyone knows are just said because they have to.

We know our kids are going to argue. That’s normal. But wouldn’t it be nice if they meant their apologies?

We can't force our kids to feel remorse or to want to do what's right. Even the Holy Spirit doesn't do that.

But we can set the expectation in our homes that apologies are about accepting responsibility and actively working toward wholeness in relationships. When we do that, we start aligning our kids' hearts toward what’s right.

So if you’re tired of those empty apologies, check out this week’s video:

All my best,
B.J.

P.S. If you’re really feeling worn down by the challenges of parenting in summer, check out these four online workshop videos I created to help you navigate big emotions, sibling conflict, obedience, and cooperation so you can make it through the rest of summer a whole lot more peacefully.