Is it wrong to tell kids to apologize?
Today’s must-read: Some parents argue that forcing kids to say they’re sorry is useless or harmful, Stephanie H. Murray wrote last year.

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Some parents argue that forcing children to say they’re sorry is useless or even harmful. The reality is more nuanced, Stephanie H. Murray wrote last year.

Say you’re sorry. For generations, parents have leaned on the phrase during sibling tiffs and playground scuffles. But it has lately become controversial, particularly among a certain subset of Millennial parents—those for whom the hallmark of good parenting is the reverence they show for their kids’ feelings. Under this model, gone are the days of scolding a child for melting down, sending them to a time-out, or ignoring them until they settle. (Joining them for “time-ins” to help them process their emotions? That’s okay.) The guiding principle seems to be to take children’s current or future feelings into consideration at every parental decision point—even when they are the ones who have hurt the feelings of someone else.


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