Parents are the first ones responsible for putting limits on their children. Those limits are usually enforced with a very commonly used word: NO.
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However, when the word “no” is used too frequently, children stop listening and even making sense of it. That’s when parents start to feel like they’re not doing their job properly, or worse when they resort to shouting and mistreatment not because they’re bad parents, but the sheer desperation of their children disobeying them.
It’s important to understand that the word “no” should only be used at the right time. Those are situations, in which the children are in danger: crossing the street, hanging out of a window, running in a mall, etc.
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Just as we adults need to learn how to use the word correctly, we also must teach our children to do the same. This is so that when they really don’t want to do something, they can express it without using the word randomly.
The main thing is to try to understand children and their emotions. These are some ways of saying ‘NO’ without saying it:
1. Give them alternatives and positive options.
2. Distract their attention to another topic.
3. Give them simple explanations.
4. Use key words in certain situations to redirect actions.
Some examples:
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