PARENT SUPPORT CIRCLE The Newsletter for Parents of Tweens & Teens |
Weekly Edition • Real Talk for Real Parents
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC I Lost It With My Kid. Here's How I Made It Right. |
Hey,
Let me ask you something — and be honest with yourself: when's the last time you overreacted with your kid?
Maybe it was yesterday. Maybe it was this morning. Maybe it's been a while, but you still carry the memory of a moment you wish you could take back.
I've been there. RJ has been there. Every parent listening to this show has been there.
Here's the thing nobody talks about enough: the overreaction isn't what defines you as a parent. What defines you is what you do next.
This week, I want to walk you through exactly how to apologize to your child after you've overreacted — in a way that actually heals the moment, instead of just brushing past it.
— Curtis (Co-host, Parent Support Circle)
"The repair matters more than the rupture. When your kids watch you own your mistakes, you're not just healing a moment — you're building their emotional blueprint for life." |
1 | Cool down before you approach them. An apology delivered while you're still activated isn't really an apology. Give yourself 10–20 minutes. Walk around the block. Drink some water. You can't model calm if you're skipping it. |
2 | Go to them — don't wait for them to come to you. Seeking them out sends a powerful message before you even speak: the relationship matters more than your ego. Knock on the door. Sit at their level. Put the phone down. |
3 | Own it specifically — and drop the 'but.' The moment you add 'but I was stressed' or 'but you were being difficult,' you've canceled the apology. Name exactly what you did and take full ownership. 'I yelled at you. That wasn't okay. I'm sorry.' |
4 | Name what they felt, not just what you did. 'That probably felt really scary.' 'You didn't deserve to be spoken to that way.' This is the piece that transforms a routine apology into genuine repair. Your child needs to know you see them. |
5 | Let them respond — even if it's messy. After your apology, stop talking. They might shrug. They might cry. They might say something that stings. Resist the urge to fill silence or get defensive. Let the repair land. |
TRY SAYING THIS: "Earlier I yelled at you about your room, and that wasn't okay. You didn't deserve to be spoken to that way. I was frustrated — but that's on me to manage, not take out on you. I'm genuinely sorry. How are you feeling?" |
Here's what I want you to remember:
Apologizing to your child does not undermine your authority. It builds it. Children don't need perfect parents — they need parents who show them what accountability looks like in the real world.
Every time you repair a rupture, you're teaching your child that relationships can survive hard moments. That love doesn't disappear when someone messes up. That's not weakness. That's exactly the parent they need you to be.
Rooting for you always,
Curtis & RJ
Parent Support Circle
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