Why are parents afraid of no?

There are a range of reasons many parents are loath to set and enforce limits with their kids: They don’t want to be subjected to their kids’ upset/anger. They’re compensating for guilt related to past experiences with their kids. They have an unhealthy desire to be friends with their kids.

What can I say instead of no to kids?

When you’re tempted to say “no”, try to rephrase it as a statement about what your child can do, rather than what she can’t. For example, instead of, “No throwing the ball in the living room!” you could say, “See if you can roll the ball down the hall,” or, “Remember, we only throw balls outside.”

Why does my child always try to get me to say no?

Saying no is a form of setting limits. Naturally, your kids will test the limits you set and test you to confirm whether or not those limit are for real. They may beg, plead, whine, cry, tantrum up a storm, get extremely angry, or all of the above.

Should parents always say yes to their children’s wishes?

For many parents, it’s consistently enticing to say yes to their children’s wishes—particularly if they can afford to gratify those wishes, but often even if they really can’t. Parents naturally want their kids to be happy.

Do parents do their children a disservice by not telling them “no”?

Believe it or not, parents do their children a tremendous disservice when they don’t give them the experience of being told “no.” For many parents, it’s consistently enticing to say yes to their children’s wishes—particularly if they can afford to gratify those wishes, but often even if they really can’t.

Should you give in to your kids’ needs?

If you give in, you send the message to your kids that “no” doesn’t necessarily mean no, and that if they beg, plead, whine, or cry, they’ll get what they want. Giving in reinforces your kids’ cringe-inducing behavior, making it more likely to recur and more difficult to extinguish. The slipperiness of this slope can’t be overstated.