Becky Kennedy

My adult child will know how to take responsibility for their behavior because you've modeled how to take responsibility for yours.

Repairing with a child today sets the stage for these critical adult relationship patterns.

Plus, it gets better.

Now that I've reconnected with my son, I can do something really impactful.

I can teach him a skill he didn't have in the first place, which is how kids actually change their behavior.

So maybe the next day I say, you know, you're not always going to like what I make for dinner.

Instead of saying, that's disgusting, I wonder if you could say, not my favorite.

Now I'm teaching him how to regulate his understandable disappointment and communicate effectively and respectfully with another person.

That never would have happened if instead I had been blaming him for my reaction.

So here's the point where you might have a lingering concern.

Maybe you're thinking, you know, I have a feeling my kid's older than your kid.

I think it's too late.

Or ...

I have done a lot worse than you did in the kitchen.

Maybe it's too late."

Well, I mean this.

If you have only one takeaway from this talk, please let this be it.

It is not too late.

It is never too late.

How do I know?