Episode 239: Sorry, not sorry. Should parents apologize to their kids?

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of parents apologizing to their children and the challenges they face in doing so.

Today we take on apologizing to our kids—or what psychologists call “repair”—and why it feels so hard for many parents. Dr. Ken and Cynthia discuss how older generations rarely apologized because authority was the priority, while modern parenting emphasizes connection. They unpack why some parents struggle to say “I’m sorry,” especially high-achieving or strong-willed parents, and Dr. Ken explains that healthy repair isn’t pretending your child did nothing wrong or giving half-apologies (“I’m sorry, but…”). Instead, it’s owning your reaction while still holding boundaries and consequences—modeling emotional regulation without acting like you and your teen are equals or roommates. Listen in today for a practical word on why apologizing matters and how to do it effectively. If you have a minute, please leave us a review. We love hearing listeners encouraging other listeners. You can order Dr. Ken's book "Feeding The Mouth That Bites You" here You can order Cynthia's book "Life Is Messy, God Is Good" here You can pre-order Cynthia's book "How'd I Miss That" here Got questions or feedback? We want to hear from you! podcast@feedingthemouth.com Music provided by the great John David…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ken, Cynthia

Topics covered

• apologizing
• parenting
• emotional regulation
• connection
• boundaries

Keywords

• repair
• authority
• high-achieving parents
• strong-willed parents
• half-apologies

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Feeding The Mouth That Bites You, Life Is Messy, God Is Good, How'd I Miss That

Books & works: Feeding The Mouth That Bites, Life Is Messy, God Is Good, How'd I Miss That"

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