Family lying on grass

All children like to say ‘No’. I am sure they started saying ‘No’ in response to parents and carers saying it to them when they were a toddler. ‘No don’t touch that’, ‘No don’t eat that.’ It is probably one of the first words that children learn from us. Is it easier to say ‘No’ than ‘Yes?’  Sometimes I think that saying yes, especially to things that relate to family life, can make life much more bearable, happier and everyone seems to get along better. When children say ‘No’ it can lead to arguments, shouting and tension. It is not helpful.

Children may be resistant when parents ask them to do something, especially if they want to have fun elsewhere, play on the play station or watch their favourite TV show. It is surely easier for them to just do what mum or dad ask as it can cause problems when they resist. It is in their best interest to do it happily rather than with a frown on their face and protesting.

How To Make Family Life Fun

When we have something we don’t want to do, it can be made less of a chore and more fun. Here some fun activities to brighten the task:

  • Singing, listening to music and dancing while you work (task permitting).
  • Thinking about how long it will realistically take, set a timer and get it done. Make it a race of tidying bedrooms and doing chores.
  • Add a small reward or treat as an incentive for when the task is complete and look forward to receiving it.
  • Plan to do something that your children like doing later on like spending relaxing family time watching a movie or playing a board game.

We need to get our children to see that saying ‘Yes’ more puts their parents in a better mood and that family life is more relaxed and easier when they do. So if children learnt ‘No’ from us as toddlers maybe they can learn ‘YES’ from us now they are young people.

I’d love to hear how saying ‘yes’ rather than ‘no’ has improved your family life. Leave a comment and let me know.

Teaching children the benefits of saying yes and why they should is not always easy for a child to comprehend. If you need a little help getting your children to be more co-operative then give me a call on 07961312749.