Say Yes

Do you find yourself being exhausted by having to say no so often? Maybe you don't have to...
Saying yes isn't about letting your child do whatever they like, nor is it about being afraid of saying no. We have some ideas to help you say yes more, making more positive interactions for your family.

(1) Provide choices
Create firm boundaries around what you're willing to agree to, and your answer will always be yes. By giving your child two or three choices of things they're allowed to do, they will feel as though they have control over what they are choosing - while you are setting up a positive interaction.

(2) Yes, when...
If your child asks to do something, and your initial reaction is to say no, consider saying, "Yes, when..." Can he have screen time? Yes, when he finishes his homework. Can she have ice cream? Yes, when she's eaten her dinner.

(3) Set up success 
Are you setting your child up for success? When you provide opportunities for positive choices, your children will be more apt to choose options that you will say yes to.

(4) Choose your battles
What would happen if you said yes to this? Looking at your day as a whole, looking at your family values, looking at your personal parenting philosophy- is this a big or small decision?

(5) Play!
When was the last time that you sat down with your kids and played with them? Ten minutes a day of focused play time will dramatically improve your relationship with your children, which will undoubtedly increase the amount of times that you can choose to say yes.