Kids. Mind n Soul Development: How to Say No Without Saying No

Saying “NO” in a negative way can de-motivate your child and weaken your relationship. 

As Roni Leiderman, associate dean of the Family Center at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, puts it: "Children often begin to tune it out, and you may find that it takes ten no's to get your child to respond."  

What can you do? 

Say	Instead of
“Let’s cover the floor with newspaper so the glue won’t get all over the floor.”	“Why are you getting the glue all over the floor?”
“”Let’s go outside to play ball.”	“No! Don’t throw the ball in the living room.”
“Let’s see how we can do this better.”	“No! Don’t do it that way. You must do it this way.”

Rephrasing and changing the negative words into positive ones can actually help you to communicate your point to your child better. Your child will feel being loved. Furthermore, your actions - positive and negative - will be ingrained into your child’s mind and they will start to model on you. Thus, react positively and be your child’s role model.

Let your child learn from mistakes and through positive communication.

Let your child feel that they are independent and that you trust and support them.