Hannah asks, “Do you have to accept an apology if you don’t believe it?”
Hannah asks, “Do you have to accept an apology if you don’t believe it?”
You can find out more about Nina Purewal and her work at NinaPurewal.com.
If there’s a question you’d like to ask, or if you have advice to share, you can reach us at listen@akidspodcastabout.com.
Check out other podcasts made for kids just like you by visiting akidsco.com.
It’s OK To Ask: A Kids Advice Podcast
S1 EP01, Accepting Apologies (Or Not)
[INTRODUCTION]
Nina: This is It’s Okay To Ask: A Kids Advice Podcast.
I’m your host, Nina Purewal.
We know that you confront big questions weekly (or maybe even daily) about what to do, what to say, and how to respond. Asking for advice from friends and classmates is a great way to help inform your own decision-making choices. And it’s okay to ask, that’s why we’re making this show.
We want to provide a space for you to ask questions and also get advice. But sometimes you’ve got to ask a couple people for advice before you’re ready to take your next step. And that is why we’ve created an entirely different kind of podcast, a dynamically-created podcast. This means that no two listens are the same. Listen to the episode, then delete it and download it again for a totally new outcome. Just like asking a second or third person for advice.
Today we’ve got advice from Bianca, Jonah, and Ariana.
Bianca: My name is Bianca. I am 7 years old. I live in Ontario, Canada.
Jonah: Hi, my name is Jonah. I am 11 years old and I live in Maryland.
Aria: My name is Aria. I am 8 years old and I'm from Toronto, Ontario.
Nina: You will be hearing from at least one of them later.
And the reason why you’re hearing from them and not from me? Or from another adult?
Easy.
Sometimes getting advice from kids is more helpful or beneficial than hearing from adults because a peer, someone who is of similar age and experience to you, can often understand aspects of your life in special ways because they are going through it, too.
Today’s question comes from Hannah.
Hannah asks, “Do you have to accept an apology if you don’t believe it?”
What do you think? Do you have to accept an apology if you don’t believe it?
Let’s hear some advice.
[ADVICE FROM KIDS]
Choice 1
Bianca: You don't have to sit in apology if it's not coming from the heart.
Choice 2
Jonah: You don’t have to accept an apology if you don’t believe it. You can have time to think about it.
And it’s… you don’t have to accept it if you don’t believe that you have to.
Don’t accept an apology if your gut is saying not to. Only if you really think about it and you think it’s the right choice.
Choice 3
Aria: No. You don't have to accept an apology if you don't believe it, because you can tell if a person means the apology by their facial expression and their tone of voice. If they don't do any of those things, they may not even know what they're sorry for. And… yeah.
[SIMILAR EXPERIENCES]
Nina: Welcome back.
The advice we give often comes from a place of experience. What we’ve been through or what we’ve learned so far helps us to figure out how to respond when new experiences come our way. Or when friends are asking for advice about their new experiences.
Let’s listen again as Bianca, Jonah, or Ariana share a time when they went through something similar to Hannah.
Choice 1
Bianca: There was this person at recess and they... and they used to make me upset. And they kept on apologizing and apologizing and apologizing. And I knew that the apology wasn't coming from their heart because their behavior did not change.
Choice 2
Jonah: One time at school I accidentally bumped into someone and they said, “Hey. Could you maybe not do that?” And they said it in a mean tone. And I said “sorry”, hoped that they accepted it, and they accepted it which made me feel happy.
I knew that they accepted my apology because they said, “It’s okay. I forgive you.”
Choice 3
Aria: One time at recess a boy started pulling on my hood and when I told him to stop, he did not, so I got back to class and I told my teacher. And she had to tell him to say sorry.
But I... I said, “it's okay”, but the apology felt fake.
Nina: We all go through these experiences. Even grownups. If you’ve got one near you, ask. And I guarantee you they’ve been through something like this in their life.
That doesn’t make it any easier for you to go through it, necessarily. But it can serve as reassurance that you’re not going through it alone. And even though it’s hard, that you’re going to be okay when you come out on the other side.
We’re going to take a quick break. And when we return, we’re looking for your advice.
Seriously.
Stick around.
[ASKING FOR YOUR ADVICE]
Nina: Welcome back to It’s Okay to Ask: A Kids Advice Podcast. Before the break we heard advice based on a question sent in by Hannah about accepting apologies even if you don’t believe them.
Now, it’s our turn to come to you.
Bianca, Jonah, and Ariana each brought a question, and you’ll hear from one of them in just a moment.
After you do, it’s your opportunity to share some advice.
Here we go.
Choice 1
Bianca: What happens if you go to school and you miss your family?
Choice 2
Jonah: Everyone at school is coughing and it makes me feel unsafe and even a little nervous to go into the school building. What do you think I should do?
Choice 3
Aria: What if somebody says something mean to you and it's over now and like it's not happened again, but what if you're still hurt by it?
[WRAP-UP]
Nina: Well, what do you think?
What’s your advice?
You can pause the show and share with whomever else is listening with you. And you can also share with us. And we mean that.
You can write to us or send us a voice message and we’ll make sure your advice gets into the right hands. Email listen@akidspodcastabout.com.
And one last thing before we go. Remember that I shared in the beginning that this is a special kind of podcast? One that’s dynamically-created so that no two listens are the same.
If you’re ready to hear another advice to Hannah’s question or if you’re just curious to hear what others had to say, delete this episode from your podcast app and download it again for a totally new outcome. If you’re listening on a website, hit refresh.
And remember, it’s okay to ask for advice on whatever is going on in your world. You are not doing this alone, my friend.
Until next time, I’m Nina. Thanks for listening.
[CLOSING]
Nina: Thank you Hannah for your question and to Bianca, Jonah, and Ariana for your advice.
If there’s a question you’d like to ask, or if you have advice to share, you can reach us at listen@akidspodcastabout.com.
It’s Okay To Ask is written by me, Nina Purewal. You can learn more about me and my work at NinaPurewal.com.
Our show is edited and produced by Matthew Winner with help from Chad Michael Snavely and the team at Sound On Studios. Our executive producer is Jelani Memory. And this show was brought to you by A Kids Podcast About.
Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are found and check out other podcasts made for kids just like you by visiting akidsco.com.