Without a doubt…
“It’s not my fault.”
That one came from one of my adult children.
Now, before anyone thinks I’m picking on them, every parent knows this season. You ask a simple question:
“What did you learn from this?”
And somehow the answer becomes…
“Mom, it’s not my fault.”
At that point, you’re standing there trying to decide whether to laugh, cry, or stare into the distance wondering if accountability has officially gone extinct.
Here’s what I’ve learned over the years:
Growth begins the moment we stop asking, “Whose fault is it?” and start asking, “What can I learn from this?”
Life isn’t always fair.
Sometimes things truly aren’t our fault.
But our response is always our responsibility.
One of the greatest signs of maturity is the ability to say,
“I could have handled that better.”
“I made a mistake.”
“I was wrong.”
Those words don’t make us weak.
They make us teachable.
As parents, we eventually realize we can’t protect our children from every consequence. Sometimes the lesson they’re resisting today becomes the wisdom they carry tomorrow.
So yes…
“It’s not my fault” may be the best excuse I’ve heard lately.
But I still believe the better question is:
“What did this experience teach you?”
Because accountability isn’t about carrying blame.
It’s about taking ownership of your growth.
(And to my adult children… if you’re reading this… your mother still loves you. Even when the excuse is more creative than the solution.
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