The heavy little word: sorry

Baby Mo snatched a toy, Baby Ais fell and cried. Abi didn't order Baby Mo to say "sorry" in a commanding tone — that only turns sorry into an empty word.

I carried Baby Ais first until she calmed. Then I showed Baby Mo: "Look, Ais is hurt. Try to soothe her." Baby Mo hesitated, then patted his sister's head with his chubby hand. That was his apology — before he could even say it.

Empathy comes before words. A child needs to see the effect of his action on someone's face first; only then does "sorry" mean anything. Abi wasn't chasing the word; I was chasing the understanding.

He is not one of us who does not show mercy to our young ones.

A few minutes later they were playing together again as if nothing happened. But Abi knows something small was just planted.