I LOVE this article that talks about aiming for yes with you kiddos!
Kids hear a lot of “no” throughout the course of a day. No you can’t stay up as long as you want…no you can’t ride your bike without a helmet…no you can’t hit your sister.
It is easy for “no” to become a reflex answer to any new or odd request from our kids. Often times we say no before we’ve even thought through what they asked.
Joanna Goddard writes about the advice she heard as a young parent, “challenge the tendency toward the automatic no, and ‘aim for yes.’ Because some things are always going to be no – and rightfully so. But not everything has to be.
Here are some examples of things that recently happened in her home:
– Toby wanted to wear his bathing suit in the bath
– Anton wanted to jump from one sofa to the other
– Toby wanted to mix milk and water
– Anton wanted to wear pajamas to the grocery store
– Anton wanted to lie down on the skateboard
My knee-jerk reaction tends to be no – just hop in the bath, just drink your milk. But if I stop to think, why not? If it isn’t hurting anyone, and they find it exciting for some reason, who cares?
By saying yes, we’re encouraging creativity. It is giving our kids more opportunities to explore, to indulge their curiosity, and to build their confidence.
Aim for yes!