What changed when I apologised to my daughter

Eva: In the past, I might have argued back: “I am your mother. You should respect me.” A little while ago, my daughter and I disagreed. I had promised her something, but I did not follow through. I handled it my own way instead. My daughter was upset. She sent me a message: “Why do you keep changing what we agreed? You have left me waiting here.” I got upset too. When I saw the message, I thought, “It is such a small thing. Does it need to become a big issue?” But then I paused and grew quiet. I looked inward. Why was my daughter feeling this way? What was she trying to say? Her need was to be seen and respected. I had not done what I promised. So I had not shown her respect. I sent her a message. I said, “I am sorry. I made you feel disrespected. That was my mistake.” After that, her tone softened. She trusted me more, too. I said, “I did not look at this from your point of view. I overlooked that. I will be more mindful next time. Mum loves you.”