Role Reboot

How I’m Teaching My Son To Apologize (And Mean It)

My wish is that he will grow into a man who gives sincere apologies, not preemptive “sorries” to avoid consequences for bad behavior. We are lousy apologizers. Many of us are guilty of throwing around a “sorry” not as a demonstration of contrition, but as a way to justify bad behavior. Just the other day […]

Why Moms Need To Stop Apologizing For Their Kids

I’m worried that by making excuses for my daughter’s behavior I’m telling her that her feelings and fundamental personality traits are wrong, and that her feelings aren’t as important as how likable she is to others. Last week, in my undergraduate creative writing class, the students and I discussed Aimee Bender’s short story “Off.” The […]