Parents: When was the last time you apologized to your children for things that may have happened when they were young?

2 brief stories:

#1. My wife had a very antagonistic relationship with her mom while she was growing up. Her mother said things to her and did things to her that caused her trauma. Even into adulthood an animosity lingered between the two. Then one day my wife’s mother apologized to her for specific things she did and said. Her mom said to my wife that she (mom) did what she thought was best at the time, but that she (mom) acknowledges she did things that were wrong and that affected my wife negatively. After this, a burden was lifted from my wife and now she actually enjoys and appreciates her mother in a way she never could before.

#2. My dad was an abusive asshole. The only reason I kept in contact with him was because of my mother; she had MS and my father cared for her. When my mother died about 2 years ago my dad cried to me and said that we should leave the past in the past and move on, but he never acknowledged how what he did affected me and affects me today. Basically, he wanted forgiveness without really admitting any guilt. Well, I haven’t talked to him in months and he has seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth, and, of course, we have no relationship. I feel if he could really acknowledge what he did and truly ask my forgiveness, we could mend our rift. This will probably never happen.

So my question. Have you ever apologized to your children for past deeds, whether big or small, that could have affected your children negatively? Did it change anything between them and yourself? Should children expect or do they even deserve an apology?