Read the Room

Wait for the cool-down, then watch your child instead of the clock. Some kids settle in a few minutes; others need a little longer.

If they are still not ready, hand them the timing: "I want to talk about what happened. Tell me when you're ready." That makes repair a shared process, not something you force on them. And once you have repaired, let it go. Circling back to apologize again teaches your child that managing your guilt is now their job.