How do I teach my son about integrity when I mess up?

R

1d ago1 min read

My 8 year old caught me in a lie yesterday. Small thing really, told my boss I was sick when I just wanted to take the day off. He asked me about it and I didn't know what to say. I ended up apologizing to him and explaining that I made a mistake but I'm worried I've already damaged something. How do you guys handle it when your kids see you fail? How do you use it as a teaching moment without losing credibility?

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Comments(3)

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RRyanRegular22h ago

I think just admitting to your son that you messed up and explaining why is the integrity lesson right there. You're showing him that even adults mess up and that we have to own it. That's huge.

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MMikeNew Dad13h ago

That's tough but also a good moment honestly. My kid called me out for something similar last year and it was embarrassing but it made me more careful about what I say. Kids are good at keeping us honest.

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BBrandonNew Dadjust now

This is something I struggle with too. The best thing I did was apologize to my kids and explain that even though I made a mistake, I'm trying to do better. Modeling how to handle failure is actually the integrity lesson.

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