THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY- TURNING "NO" INTO A "YES"

Hello Everyone! Thoughtful Thursdays are really just meant for a little reflection, maybe a quote of the day, or just a simple discussion of the little things in life that amuse me!


As my toddler has gotten a lot more independent and adventurous, I have found myself telling her "NO" quite a bit. I just hate telling anyone "NO" because I don't like to hear it myself. In fact, the more somebody tells me "NO", or tells me that I can't do something, the more I want to do it anyway!! I can just see my father and mother, even my husband, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads with a smirk. I have always been pretty independent and, well, some may call it down right STUBBORN! Needless to say, this is how I have been turning a "No" into a "Yes".

After all the Christmas baking, my daughter quickly became aware of where I keep our sweets. So every morning like clockwork, she went right to that cupboard and asked for candy. In fact, she asked for it several times a day. My daughter doesn't do particular well with a lot of sugar, so instead of just telling her "No" all day, I began by telling her "Yes, you can have some, but after your nap". At first, she was pretty upset, but I continued to remind her that she could have some after her nap. I even reminded her when it was time to have some candy. If she asked for it again after already having some that day, I would simply say "yes, you can have some tomorrow after your nap".  After a week of conditioning to this, she stopped asking for it all the time. Now when she asks for it, I tell her "Yes, as long as you eat 4 more bites of your dinner". So now it has become an agreement. She can have some candy as long as she follows through with the agreement. 

This method has really changed  how my daughter and I interact throughout the day. I think that it establishes some patience, an understanding that she is going to have to DO something in order to GET something, and a trust that I am going to follow through with my end of the agreement as well. This is a method that I think can be used in any relationship to get positive results.


Would love to hear what you think! Have another great day, its almost Friday!!

Heather