The Importance of Expressing Repentance

A sign of a healthy child/parent relationship is the way parents deal with bad choices as they relate directly to their children. Sometimes parents blow up at children for no reason, or even for what might be perceived as a good reason. It’s so valuable to a child, however, to see their parents modeling humility by admitting mistakes. When a parent comes to a child and expresses repentance over a behavior, many things happen: the parent is able to communicate to the child no matter the age that people make mistakes; a parent experiences the power of restoring relationships with their children; the child learns how to reconcile relationships with others through the parent’s approach; the child has an outlet to express his or her own sadness; and others watching are invited to consider for themselves how they might handle it.