I’ve been thinking about this a lot regarding my preschooler lately. We tell him to apologize any time he does something “wrong”, but it feels forced and obligatory — more like fear of judgment as bad parents if we don’t make him say the words. He is sorry, and knows right from wrong, but at his age, I don’t know that apologizing every time he takes a toy or accidentally trips another kid is a valuable lesson. Talking to him at his level about why what he did was wrong and making sure he understands goes a lot farther toward correcting his behavior and developing empathy than reciting “I’m sorry.” Thanks for a thought-provoking article!