How do you handle it when your kids call you out for being hypocritical? | DadHQ

How do you handle it when your kids call you out for being hypocritical?

3w ago1 min read

So my 7 year old caught me yelling at another driver on the way home from church yesterday. Then immediately after I'm telling her about patience and kindness. She goes 'Dad you were just mean to that man.' Man that stung. I apologized right there and we talked about how I messed up and need to do better. But it really hit me that they're watching everything we do, not just what we say. Anyone else struggle with this? I feel like I'm constantly failing and having to apologize to my kids.

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Comments(6)

DDerekRegular3w ago

The church thing makes it even tougher because you want to be the guy who has it all together, especially there. But your kid just taught you something valuable - they're paying attention to who you really are, not who you pretend to be. That's actually a win in the long run.

NNathanNew Dad3w ago

That's actually a gift though. Your 7 year old is paying attention to what you're teaching her about how to act. Use it as a moment to model apologizing and being better.

SSean M.New Dad3w ago

Oh man this happened to me too! My kid called me out for being impatient and I wanted to hide. But I just owned it and apologized. Kids respect that way more than pretending it didn't happen.

CChristopherNew Dad3w ago

Oh man, this is rough. My oldest got me on the same thing last month - called me out for saying we don't lie and then catching me telling his mom I was stuck in traffic when I wasn't. The look on his face killed me. I had to own it completely and apologize.

PPhilRegular3w ago

This is the hardest part of being a dad honestly. They're always watching. I've learned to just acknowledge it right away when my kid calls me out - admit I messed up, explain why I did it even though it wasn't right, and commit to doing better. That's integrity to me.

DDerekRegular3w ago

Yikes that's rough but also kind of a teaching moment right? You can apologize to your daughter and show her how adults handle messing up.