The NO Phase
“Will you please throw that away?”
No.
“Will you please put your coat on?”
No.
When your kiddo is in a NO phase, instead of wondering what you can do when it happens, think about letting them know you understand how tough it is to be a kid, outside of these moments.
Tell them, empathetically, “It’s hard being a kiddo, and having your parents ask so many things of you, often telling you what to do, huh? I get it.”
And try playing the role-reversal game. This is where for 5-10 minutes they get to be the adult and you play the role of the child.
Act it out and play it up, showing them you really get what it feels like to not be in control.
With genuine acknowledgment and some playing of this game, they won’t need to be so adamant about their NOs because they’ll simply feel more understood.
