This one is for my friend, Heather, who is going through the same challenges with her beautiful 4 year old daughter as I am with mine.  Seeing the teenage years flash before our eyes, we are clutching dearly onto the innocent moments of childhood…their childhood.

The older mine gets, the more stubborn she becomes.  Digs her feet it, as I like to say.  Especially when it comes to apologizing.  Why is it so hard for a 4 year old to say, “I’m sorry?”  It’s like, kid, all you have to do is say a quick “I’m sorry” and your totally off the hook.  Hug it out, milk some cuteness out of it, and there will be no time outs.  But every time, my kid refuses to take the bait.  She senses it’s too easy. Afraid that after the ‘I’m sorry’ is delivered there will be more extreme ramifications.

It’s especially aggravating for me, because my daughter get’s a lot of practice at apologizing.  She has a little sister.  And, although they are besties for life, they argue a lot.  Some deserved, some accidental, but they get into pickles that require an apology at least 20 times a day.  So, when they not only refuse to apologize to each other, but to their other friends as well, it makes me want to pull my hair out.

Forced “I’m sorry” hug # 94 of the day…

There’s no way to convey to another parent the amount of work that I’ve put into teaching my kids good manners.  And when they refuse to display them in public it makes my blood boil…and, it’s flat out embarrassing.  The only relief I get is witnessing another parent deal with the same situation that I deal with 20 times a day.  Even better, when I hear the same words I say come out of that other parent’s mouth.  It’s instant comfort.  Like. omg…I am not alone.  My kid is not a terror, and I’m not a terrible parent.  Silent thank you upwards…

Happy Apologizing…

Megs