After the Apology

Once you have named it and owned it, two small moves make the repair stick:

1. Validate what they felt: "That was scary, and your feelings about it are real."
2. Give them a tool: "I'm working on my voice. If I start getting loud, you can say 'too loud, Dad,' and I'll stop and breathe."

That tool hands your child a little power and turns repair into teamwork. Then stop — do not over-explain or defend. A calm pause after the repair is reassuring on its own, telling your child the storm has truly passed.