At bedtime, my 10-year-old Nate told me about a conflict at school which escalated when another boy called him a bad name.

As my son expressed his hurt, I recalled a phone call I had with another adult. During the call, the individual made an accusation about my character. I instantly responded in kind.

Taking the High Road
While kissing Nate “goodnight,” he admitted, “Mommy, I wanted to call the boy a bad name back. But I didn’t.”Unlike his mother, Nate hadn’t retaliated.

After turning off Nate’s light, I knew what I needed to do in response to my phone call with the other adult: apologize.