Theirs and Yours

Your child learns how to say no by watching you say it. Deliver a harsh, dismissive no and that is the version they carry to siblings and friends.

Suppose your child begs for dessert before dinner. Try: "You really want something sweet. Not before we eat. You can pick the dessert for after." The acknowledgment is not optional. Without it, your no becomes a wall. With it, your no becomes a door — closed now, not locked forever.