Mistakes in parenting are unavoidable—unfair words, misjudged punishments, failures of patience. Confucius' counsel applies equally to adults and children: do not let pride or shame prevent correction. When parents apologize appropriately to children, they teach that admitting wrong and changing course is honorable. This lowers the emotional cost of confession for the child, who sees that even those in authority are under the same moral standard. Conversely, if parents never acknowledge fault, children may either crumble under perfectionism or learn to hide their own errors at any cost.