Hey there,
Guilt…Not a nice feeling, is it?
Unfortunately, it’s ingrained into just about every culture on the planet. I mean how many times have you heard things like…
“Irish guilt…” “Catholic Guilt…” “Jewish guilt…” “Russian guilt…” etc., etc., etc!
It’s an epidemic!
That’s why it’s so crucial to teach your child how to…
Let. Things. Go!
See, when your child inevitably does something “wrong”….A couple things can happen:
1. They apologize for what they did, seek forgiveness, learn from the situation, and move on.
2. They fester on the situation, and feel guilty about it for a long time to come.
A lot of us get stuck in #2. We have guilt stored up in us from things that happened decades ago. All because we developed patterns of guilt by watching the society around us.
So help encourage your child to just take accountability for their actions. Teach them that although there might be consequences that aren’t fun…but it’s rewarding in the long run.
And instead of saying “it’s okay” (because it wasn’t), tell them you forgiving them.
And of course, be sure to lead by example. Kids watch our every move – and copy it, too. Show them accountability, and they’ll do it too.
Have a great one,
Your neighborhood martial arts instructor,
Mark W.
