By Sarah Chana Radcliffe
It's important for your loved one to learn to take responsibility...
We don't help people "take responsibility" by making them acknowledge and apologize for their wrongdoing. In fact, acknowledgment and the expression of regret tend to arise naturally when we explain the impact another person's behavior had on us. "When you forgot my birthday, I felt hurt and unimportant." If you aren't in the habit of constantly criticizing, this sort of emotional sharing is often enough to encourage remorse and the "taking of responsibility."
We all do and say things we regret but we don't need to fret too much because..
It's not any one thing that you say or do that will deeply affect your child, but rather the patterns and tendencies you display, the repetitive actions and interactions, the general "feel" you convey and the overall impression you make. In other words, the summary of your overall presentation and the general message you've conveyed is what leaves its impact. If you had to describe that, what would it be? What would you need to be doing and saying regularly in order for your overall lasting impact to be, "I love you and I'm here for you?"
