The Power of No

We want to give our children everything. But is that a good thing? When we say no to our children, we are setting important limits and boundaries that help kids feel secure and cared for. When kids are given everything they want, important boundaries are not set and there is nothing for the child to push against or limits to contain their wants and desires.

When saying no, it is helpful to make eye contact and say no once. Sometimes a simple explanation of why you are setting that limit can help the child accept the boundary that you are setting. When we create a container for our children, we model important behavior. We want our kids to be able to say no to their peers when they are faced with difficult decisions when they are older. Teaching kids the power of no now will go a long way in helping them set and respect the boundaries they are going to want to keep for themselves.