I had a moment of inspiration the other day after yet anOTHer argument between the boys. Because seriously…there’s only so many times I can stand listening to the same. old. conflicts.
After getting angry myself (and having to take me on a cool-down walk around the block), I sat the boys down and told them we were going to talk about the 3 R’s of Making Things Right. By this time they were calm too, and everyone listened very well. I wrote on the marker board while I talked. (I used colored markers, so you’re getting the FULL treatment here with colored font. You’re welcome.)
1. Repentance: When you repent, you are TRULY sorry for having done wrong. You have every intention of not doing that wrong again.
2. Reconciliation: When you reconcile, you make up to the person. This involves two things; an apology to the person you wronged, and an effort to make friends with them. Because the person may still be angry, you should go on to step 3 if this doesn’t work right away.
3. Restitution: You need to fix whatever was broken and if possible, make things better than they were before you started.
So there you have it. The 3 R’s of Making Things Right. I had said something in anger, so I modeled the process by apologizing for my words and promising not to say that again.
Nobody apologized to me for their wrong doing, but at least we learned a little bit.
Right?
Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want their children to make things right.