With my own children now at primary school age, I realize the importance of them learning some key lessons that should hold them in good stead for the rest of their lives.
One of these lessons is learning what “no” means. It’s incredible how many adults I have met who still do not know what “no” means. Somehow they simply did not learn it when they were aged 5 or so. They then got through adolescence ignoring the no’s, and into adulthood they still cannot handle its true meaning.
Tell these ‘adults’ “no” and they either go bright purple, stomp out of the room shouting, carry on regardless of the ‘no’ or their head explodes, or all of the above. It’s amazing isn’t it? Sad really.
No means no. As my primary school teacher used to tell us if we did not respond immediately to the ‘no’, “Which part of ‘no’ do you not understand, the ‘n’ or the ‘o’!?” We use a variant with our two children: “Sometimes (insert child’s name here), the answer is NO”.
Teach the children well, because if they have not learnt this by the time they “grow up”, they are a real pain to deal with!
Photo credit: OneChanceFancy
