I was just reading an article from Psychology Today about apologies, and how too many people just use them to gain instant forgiveness without making any effort afterwards to change their behavior.
But then the author wrote that whenever his short-tempered teenage son apologizes after an outburst of rage, he always responds "I don't want you to be sorry. I want your behavior to change."
That made me feel slightly uncomfortable, because my dad sometimes responded to my apologies in much the same way when I was growing up. And it hurt. I know he meant well, and maybe he was in the right to respond that way, but it hurt.
Some kids – and adults – aren't just trying to use "I'm sorry" as an instant-forgiveness, get-away-with-everything card. Some of us, especially on the autism spectrum and/or with ADHD, have rejection sensitive dysphoria, and to have an apology rejected, especially by a parent, can truly feel like the end of the world.
But maybe that's the point. It's supposed to hurt. It's supposed to be devastating, because that's what inspires change.
Still, might there be some different way to approach it? Instead of "I don't want you to be sorry..." would it be so bad to say "I accept your apology, but I also want your behavior to change"? Isn't it possible to teach kids that just saying "I'm sorry" doesn't fix everything without rejecting their apologies?
I'm curious what other people think.