“Apology accepted” could be used for children age eight and older.

But seriously, those words actually need explanation for younger children. To brush it off as, “that’s okay” actually brushes it off as if it was nothing. That’s really not forgiveness.

This story involves a boy and a girl who are about six years old. The girl hurt the boy first (socially/emotionally) and the boy overdid his revenge—and WANTS to apologize—and is going to.

But what does the girl say in return, when she accepts the apology? I’ve coached the boy as to what to say. I know both families better than they know each other. Both children want to be friends again (its been about 3 weeks since the original altercation).

I work with school-age kids on a volunteer basis (worked with them full time for over 25 years)—but never children this young. Older kids can use the right words naturally and either be friends again and go their own way. These children are younger and both the boy and the girl really want to be friends again but don;t know how to face each other.

I can give more details in one of the responses, because I’ve seen and heard both sides to this story.