Forgive and forget. Is that happening in your home?

When it comes to parenting teens, I’ve learned some things about forgiveness:

First, forgiveness is more about you offering it to your kids than them asking forgiveness from you. Your kids won’t automatically come to you, explain their wrongdoing and ask your forgiveness. That’s a learned skill and has to be developed over time. For now, you’ll need to model it and offer forgiveness.

Second, forgetting is essential. Make sure your kids know that you not only forgave, but you won’t hold the wrong against him any more. Bringing up the past destroys any element of hope for change in the future. Don’t undermine the process by digging up old dirt.

Mom and Dad, choose to forgive and forget.

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