Saying No

Do’s and Don’ts of Saying “NO”

• Don’t be afraid to say “no” to your child.
• ALL children need discipline

• There are 3 types of “no”
• Regular – the answer is wrong “no”
• Very Loud – this “no” is very LOUD and is designed to be very unpleasant.  This is typically used for something extremely unacceptable (hitting, hurting, running away)
• Assertive – This “no is to let your child know that their behavior is not acceptable to stop immediately. (“no throwing rocks”)

• Do be specific with your “no”
• Your child will not know what to stop doing unless you tell them.
• Do give them an alternative (“Stop jumping on the bed, let’s go outside and play.”)
• Do give them consequences… and follow through… every time! – Children know an empty threat when they hear it.

• Don’t send mixed messages
• Use your tone of voice and facial expression to ensure that:
• Your positives must be unmistakably positive
• Your negatives must be unmistakably negative (no laughing at their bad behavior)

• Do be consistent
• As with all discipline, consistency is key.
• Your child must know that you mean what you say.

• Don’t bribe your child to get good behavior
• Good behavior should be the standard, not the exception

• Do remember your roles.
• You are the parent.
• He/She is the child.