Sub Section 01: Being Polite – Saying Sorry

Is sorry the hardest thing for you to say? Or do you say sorry without sounding like you are sorry? Is the other person sure that you meant it?
If you have said or done something wrong or something you should not have, you HAVE to apologise and make sure that you do not do it again. What you said or did could have hurt the other person or made that person feel bad. As we grow up, it is important to learn not to hurt others this way. While you are still learning those, here is how to apologise and sound like you are really really sorry for what you said or did.

01. Say Sorry Quickly

As soon as you know that you have said or done something wrong, say ‘I am sorry’. (You can say ‘Please Forgive Me’ or ‘I Apologise’ as alternatives). Don’t wait to be reminded and don’t hang around – just say it! This makes the other person know that you didn’t mean to be hurtful.

02. Go Near The Other Person

If possible walk up to the person or go meet the person and say sorry. A hug, a stroking of the arm or a kiss on the cheek will help the other child or even adult realise that you made a mistake and that they are special to you.

03. Look at the Person’s Face

Don’t shy away when you say sorry. Look at the person’s eyes, take a deep breath and say ‘I am sorry – that is not something I should have said/ done’. Looking at someone’s eyes makes the expression more meaningful.

04. Listen to the Wounded Party

If it is a friend or sometimes, even if it is an adult, they may start talking about their bad experience. Encourage them to tell you how they felt and how they feel now. Show that you are interested to know, be kind, sit close to them as they speak and remind them that you did not mean to upset them.

Be patient and don’t expect anyone to be alright as soon as you say sorry. They can be hurt, angry, upset and may have cried. Give them a chance to recover. Try to spend some time with them to show you care and that how they feel is important to you.

05. Get Advice from an Adult

If you don’t really understand what went wrong or why your friend or the adult got upset, talk to an adult about the problem. You could also write to us at fullofetiquette@gmail.com and we will help you to see where you went wrong.

Let’s make everybody’s day brighter by learning to say sorry properly. We have no right to hurt anyone and if we mistakenly do hurt someone, we must go out of our way to correct the situation.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash