Struggling parents search for help on these topics the most:

• Escaping financial stress
• Balancing work and home life
• Managing digital devices
• Addressing defiant behaviors
• Dealing with inadequacy fueled by social media

Hundreds of websites address these different challenges that so many parents face. But one issue that isn’t addressed frequently is how to deal with parental guilt. It happens so quickly. You lose patience at the end of the day with your little ones. You overreact when boundaries are pushed by your older ones. Pent up frustration leads to sharper words than were needed.

Kids, it’s not just your parents. You push your brother’s buttons. You shove your sister. You sass your mom. And for both parents and kids the tidal waves of guilt come crashing on the shore of your heart. You feel like a failure, because in the moment you really did fail, and you failed the most important people in your life.

So what’s the best solution for the problem of guilt?

Sweep it under the rug? Promise ourselves that we’ll never do that again? Resolve to be better next time? Those might work…sometimes. But God gives us a solution that always works.

Confess your sin and guilt – to God and to each other. It’s simple, but it can be difficult. No one, no matter how old you are, wants to admit they’re wrong. But God promises that when we confess our sin and guilt, he’s always ready to forgive us. And because God forgives us in Christ, we find it in our hearts to forgive each other.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

– 1 John 1:9

Questions for Kiddos (and parents too!)

For Younger Kids:

• What does it feel like after you say or do something unkind?
• How does it make you feel to know God always forgives you when you say you’re sorry?
• How can you show forgiveness to your brother, sister, or friend when they say sorry?

For Older Kids/Adults:

• What situations tend to bring on the most guilt for you?
• How is God’s promise in 1 John 1:9 different from simply “trying harder next time”?
• How could confessing sins openly within your family change the way you treat each other?