One of the most important social skills a child can learn is how to apologize and how not to. Saying “sorry” is not just about getting out of trouble. A real apology repairs trust, restores friendships, and teaches responsibility.

Kids often learn bad apology habits early. They mumble “sorry” with an eye roll. They sound annoyed instead of sincere. Or they shift blame by saying, “I only did that because you did this.” Those kinds of apologies do not work because they do not take ownership. They are not believable, and they do not heal anything.

A good apology does one simple thing. It takes responsibility for your part in the mistake. No excuses. No explaining. No blaming. Just owning what you did.

One of the easiest ways to teach this is by helping kids finish a sentence.
“I’m sorry for ___.”
Whatever the other person is upset about goes in the blank. “I’m sorry for hurting you.” “I’m sorry I said that.” Simple, honest, and direct.

There is also an important principle worth teaching. The more mature you are, the quicker you apologize. Emotionally strong kids do not avoid apologizing. They do it sooner. They do not wait to be forced or argue their case first. They step up.

Think about how powerful this is. How many conflicts disappear the moment someone genuinely says, “I’m sorry”? Suddenly the tension drops. The problem shrinks. Kids can go back to playing instead of holding grudges.

When children learn to apologize well, they gain more than good manners. They gain emotional strength. They learn humility, responsibility, and how to keep relationships healthy.

So if your child has hurt someone, even unintentionally, encourage them to be quick, simple, and sincere. When apologies are done right, they really do work like magic.

Objective: Students will be able to identify and deliver a proper apology.  (Total lesson length: 20-30 minutes)

Materials:
SQUABBLES At The Movies Lesson 12
5 Hula hoops or 5 Tape Squares on the floor in a line as such:  

Procedures:

1. View the corresponding lesson video.  (Length: 5 minutes)
2. Discuss the difference between a good apology and a bad apology.  (A good apology doesn’t blame anyone and simply says “I’m sorry for…”  A bad apology places blame on someone else or is done in a rude tone of voice.)  Have students give examples of each
3. Define “forgive.”  (To stop being angry at someone.)
4. Explain that the proper way to apologize is to follow the steps on the poster.  Step 1: If you feel hurt, calmly say “I’m mad at you because….” Step 2: If someone is mad at you, say, “I’m sorry for….”  Step 3: If you were hurt, and the person has apologized, say, “I forgive you.” and shake hands, fist bump or hug.
5. Make a class list of 10 things that someone would have to be sorry for.  I.e. name calling, pushing, tripping, breaking something, etc…
6. Select 2 student volunteers.  One student stands in the “Step 1” space and the other stands in the other “Step 1” space.  
7. Have the rest of the class select a problem from the list and create a brief story about it. Be as creative and elaborate as the students imagination can be. Have fun with this.
8. Based on the story made up by the class, the first student will say, “I’m mad at you because….”  The second student will say, “I’m mad at you because….” The students will take one step forward into the next space.  
9. Based on the story, student 1 will say, “I’m sorry for….”  The second student will say, “I’m sorry for….” (The students should apologize for the offense named in the first step.)  Upon a successful apology, the students should step into the center space.
10. In the center space, student 1 will say, “I forgive you.”  Student 2 will say, “I forgive you.” The two students should then shake hands, fist bump or hug.
11. Repeat the game for as many of the conflicts as you can within the allotted time.

Closing: Discuss why it feels good to hear someone say they are sorry and why it feels great when we are forgiven.