When Your Child Won’t Take “No” for an Answer
By Julia Cook
Every age and stage comes with its own set of joys and challenges. One
of those challenges is dealing with a child who won’t take “no” for an
answer.
We all want our children to be confident in their opinions and decisions,
but we also need to teach them healthy boundaries and limitations. Establishing authority early on is key. Think of it this way… You respond,
“no” to your child’s request. She hides, pouts, or yells to convince you to
change your mind. You end up giving in… You’ve just taught her not to
listen to you.
So if every answer seems to turn into a negotiation, don’t give up. There
are some tactical ways you can create the boundaries now.
• When you explain your reason for saying no, be concise and to
the point. A long, drawn out explanation is neither necessary nor
productive.
• Explain the consequences for arguing in advance.
• If he begins to argue at an inopportune time, explain that there is a
more appropriate time to disagree, and set a time to sit down and
discuss.
• When a child disagrees with you appropriately, reward her behavior by actively listening to what she is telling you.
• Explain to your child that the more often he accepts “no” the right
way, the higher the probability that the next response heard will be
“yes.”
Julia Cook is a national award winning children’s author, former
counselor, and parenting expert.
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