My two year old boy is learning new words everyday.  I’ve been teaching him to say “please” and “thank you” and “good morning”…and yes, we’ve also practiced “sorry”.  He struggles immensely with that one.  It is quite mind-blowing.  How does he know that he doesn’t mean it…and so doesn’t want to say it?

Some argue that children don’t know the meanings of words they say.  However, I think he knows exactly what it means, just like he knows what “thank you” means.  He loves to say “thank you”, and he is deliciously cute when he does.  Maybe because when he does, people go “aaah… how well mannered!”  But he is only ever prompted to say “sorry” when he has done something he knows is bad, and is running away from discipline.

So, when he has done the wrong thing, and he can see in my face that I am not happy about it, and he knows in his heart that he is not sorry and in fact, he is thinking of when to do that same thing again…he doesn’t want to say “sorry”.  I can shout, beg, plead nicely…he won’t budge, because he is not sorry…

Read more at https://ufuomaee.blog/the-verdict-is-in-sorry-is-the-hardest-word/