Establish Your Authority Early On If your kids are young, then establish your authority now. The earlier you firmly establish your authority, the easier it will be for your child to learn that ‘no’ means no. Parents establish their authority by setting limits and having a structure. For example, you don’t let your two-year-old walk by the street.
‘No’ means no.” You can help coach them if the word ‘no’ is particularly frustrating to your child. Say: “If you don’t like ‘no,’ if that makes you frustrated, go to your room and draw for five minutes. Go do something to calm yourself down.” That should start very early.
When we’re frustrated as parents, hurtful words can easily come out of our mouths. But these are 7 things parents should never say to their child. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “Words are alive. Cut them and they bleed.” Anyone with experience on the recess playground knows exactly what he meant by that.
This article has been viewed 134,365 times. To learn to say, “no,” create personal boundaries for yourself based on what’s important to you, then commit to sticking with them. For example, if you value solitude, set a boundary that you’ll only go out once a week and stick to it even if others pressure you to go out.