Dear Families,

When we witness misbehavior in a child and confront him about his wrongdoing, what is that child’s typical response? Do children readily admit their faults and naturally seek to amend their misdeeds? Or do they try to excuse themselves in some way, playing the “blame game” by pointing a finger elsewhere?

Sadly, the blame game—that is, attributing to someone else one’s own responsibility—is not a game that only children play. Many adults have the habit of pointing at others as the primary reason for their personal problems. Other people can and do sometimes cause us harm, but is the persistence of problems entirely the fault of someone else, or does an important part of the problems persist because of poor personal choices?