You can use your feminine charm and puppy dog eyes to get around him, if you like, but sometimes what is really needed is a proper and heartfelt apology. You don’t need to get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness, but when you know you were in the wrong, then it’s only right to say that you are sorry. It happens to everyone at some point, anyone can make mistakes, and so here are ten tips on how to say sorry to your boyfriend.
1. Be sincere with your apology
Saying ‘sorry’ when you don’t really mean it will make you look like a petulant child. If you mean it, then say it like you do. This isn’t about being a winner or a loser in an argument; it’s about repairing the damage that you may have done.
2. Do it in person
The best way to apologise is to do in person and to do it in private. The movies might make a grand, public gesture of apology look great, but in real life, an apology should be taken seriously enough to be done when you are alone together.
3. Try and see things from his point of view
Try and put yourself in his shoes and understand his point of view. Thinking about how you would you feel, if you had been the one on the receiving end, and telling that you understand how he feels will let him know that the apology is sincere.
4. Don’t try to make excuses
If you were in the wrong, then admit it and don’t try and make excuses for what you did. There should never be a ‘but’ in an apology, because excuses will only water down the effectiveness of the apology.
5. Listen as well as talk
Once you have made your apology, let him have his say as well. An apology doesn’t instantly cure the all the hurt and he may want to talk about that. Let him explain why what you did hurt him so much and try and show that you understand.
6. Explain your actions
If you did something really bad then it’s quite likely that your boyfriend will need an explanation, as well as an apology. Just tell him the truth and explain why you did what you did, lies and half-truths will only make matters worse.
7. Don’t try and lay the blame on him
Admit it if you were wrong, don’t try and transfer the blame over to him. Saying something like ‘I’m sorry, but you made me do it’ is not really an apology at all, it’s an excuse. It will make your apology sound fake and it won’t help to heal any rifts between the two of you.
8. Do what you can to right the wrong
Tell him that you want to put things right and offer to do whatever it takes to do it. Don’t, however, promise something and then not see it through, or you will have made things ten times worse.
9. Tell him that you love him
When somebody has been hurt by the person they love, that can make them question the whole relationship. Make sure that you tell your boyfriend that you do love him and that you are truly sorry for what you did, because you may have given him reason to doubt that you care about him.
10. Give it some time
Depending on what it was that you did, it may take some time for the wounds to heal. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that an apology will make everything better again, straight away. If you do, it will appear as though you are not taking the situation seriously.
