Don’t _________ (you fill in the blank)!
No you can’t ________(you fill in the blank)!
NO!
It seems like from the moment our baby starts to explore their world, they quickly learn the word no, and it’s probably not by accident. Your child is excited to see, touch, taste, hear, and smell all of the people and things they come in contact with daily. So it’s no surprise that they are told no, some of the time for safety reasons, but sometimes we become conditioned to saying that 2 letter word.
Today I want to share a strategy that you can implement immediately so that you can begin to say YES to your child more often. Saying yes can actually allow your child the opportunity to be a kid, while learning a limit too! When I was taking care of 3 toddlers and a preschooler I found myself being the “No Queen”. It was 4 times the opportunity to keep children safe while setting limits. Once I switched my way of thinking and reframing things, I found I had a much better connection with my children, and I gained cooperation through everyday tasks like picking up toys, eating at the table, playing kindly with one another, and so many other day to day things that were once irritating or annoying. Stop and tell your child what they CAN do rather than what your child CAN’T do! It makes a huge difference!
Learning to say yes more often will change the atmosphere in your home and it will feel more loving, peaceful, and you’ll actually enjoy the parenting journey. By building this connection with your child, it will actually also help your sleep issues too! Just as an FYI, as you implement this strategy, it might feel weird at first. But with practice, patience, and a lot of deep breathing you’ll come to master it, and you won’t even realize that you once said NO so much.
What will you be saying yes to?
