My Heartfelt Apology
(Pick one from each group of choices)I have recently
that certain remarks I made were
- been told by a family member
- noticed on your Facebook page
- been alerted by the fact that you gave me a printed-out version of this page
It was certainly not my intent to
- completely inappropriate.
- offensive, apparently.
- the kind of thing you and other super-sensitive crazies get all up in arms about.
I was just trying to
- hurt you in any way.
- offend you, if that’s what I did.
- get your knickers all in a twist.
Because I myself
- be helpful.
- give you some advice that you really seem to need.
- shake you out of your bad parenting habits and make you get that brat under control.
I deeply regret
- am a parent,
- like to keep peace in the family,
- know more about kids than you ever will, obviously,
I am
- making you feel doubted or second-guessed.
- causing any kind of a big deal here.
- your inability to take advantage of my superior wisdom and experience.
and so I couldn’t have anticipated that my
- totally on your side,
- not used to people taking my opinion so seriously,
- someone who says what I think and don’t care who knows it,
would be received the way it was. I hope you can
- well-intentioned advice
- casual remark
- plain unvarnished truth-telling
- forgive me.
- lighten up a little.
- stop whining about me on your blog and pay more attention to your screwed-up kid.
And now, to give you some insight into what your family member is thinking when you talk that way, take in the outpouring of reader responses to my question, "What's the Worst Thing a 'Loved One' Has Said About Your Child or Parenting?", and read the articles Family Gathering Survival Kit and Dealing With Toxic People to appreciate all the work that goes into to dealing with YOU. Talk about special needs.
