Repentance/Forgiveness/Restoration

    My husband and I took a parenting class called "Growing Kids God's Way" a few years ago and we really picked up some wonderful advice from the class. One of the topics of discussion one night was repentance/forgiveness/restoration. We use this tool regularly in our home and people comment endlessly about how well our children get along. When one child is wronged, that child is encouraged to tell the one who wronged them that they have hurt feelings, etc. The person who committed the wrong is then supposed to ask forgiveness. The key words to be used are "forgive me", "I was wrong" and "I'm sorry". They should also name the specific wrong behavior. We use this specific phrase "I'm sorry that I (hit you, yelled at you, broke your toy, etc.). I was wrong. Will you please forgive me"? The children are then expected to hug and perform a kind act to restore the relationship to what it had been previously. I have had them make tea for the other sibling, purchase something new if they have broken something, or read a story to a younger sibling. I sometimes have a hard time with the restoration part. We are always looking for new ideas for restoration. I'd love comments with more ideas!