Wednesday, July 14, 2010

No means no! Or does it?


It is amazing how easy it is to fall into the trap of telling your kids no. Think about it, I am sure you don’t even realize how often you do it. Until I became more aware of this, I know that I wasn't even aware of how often my husband and I gave the kids a “no answer” without even thinking.


"Can I use Daddy's suit coat for my Harry Potter robes?" asks Lucy last week.


Why was the natural voice inside my head saying no immediately? Well, why not let her?! Lucy was creatively playing with her sister. I knew she would be careful with it and not be out rolling around in the mud while wearing it. It came down to the point that it wasn't really what the question was, but more of the fact that I was just ready with a "no" response and that bothered me.


Don't get me wrong, kids need to have limits and I am not one that just indulges my kids for the sake of doing it. I am directly reflecting on the fact that often they are off playing and being creative, and why can't I let them construct book houses that overrun our basement floor or use all of our plastic cups to make potions? What is really the harm?


I wanted to do something drastic and different and was a bit curious on what would exactly happen. The solution is here.


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