Daily Idea #161: Forgiveness

The Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur begins this Sunday night. The tradition is that we are to ask for forgiveness from those we may have hurt inadvertently or on purpose and to grant forgiveness to those who may have hurt us. But for children the idea of apologizing is a bit foreign. Sure, they know we tell them to say sorry when they may have taken a toy from a friend, or when they have used words that hurt someone else, but what does that mean?

For today’s daily idea we are going to learn how our actions effect others and how we can try to correct those actions and maybe change a future reaction. You will need a piece of paper, a marker, and some small bandages. Draw a person on the paper as best you can. Ask your child to tell you some words that could describe a friend in a positive way— kind, smart, pretty, handsome… Write them on the person you just drew. Then ask your child to say words that are not kind about this same friend and write them on the person as well— bossy, mean, ugly outfit…

Discuss how the words cannot be erased; once words are said you cannot take them back. Place bandages over the mean words and explain that even with apologizing the words are still there and can effect the person. Talk about how the next time they may want to use their words or actions in a negative way to remember how it may effect the other person and how to curb their words to be kinder.