Do You Say “Yes” Enough to Your Child?

As parents, saying “no” to your children comes quite naturally, and often for good reason, but are you still saying “yes” to them enough?

Christian homeschooling moms Jenni Stahlmann and Jody Hagaman, who host a nationally syndicated radio show called POP Parenting recently wrote an article that challenged and encouraged parents to say “yes” more often.

“We are not talking about overindulging them or letting kids rule the roost,” wrote Stahlmann and Hagaman in an article that appeared in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, “but often parents can get so caught up in their own agenda that they forget to make room for the growing, learning, and exploring nature of their children. They can also forget the crowning importance of connecting with their children and building a strong foundation of relationship.”

Throughout the article, the two moms, who have ten children between them, provided five specific examples of when your own desires (for less mess or your own free time) can get in the way of saying “yes”:

1. May I crack the eggs?
2. May I show you something?
3. May I pick out my own clothes?
4. May I build a fort in the living room?
5. May I talk to you before bed?

“Sometimes kids have outrageous ideas but, unless an idea is dangerous or destructive, try to say ‘yes,’” suggested Stahlmann and Hagaman. “They don’t need parents to tell them what won’t work. They can discover it on their own and, in the process, they may surprise you. But even in failure, there is a lot for them to learn, and their confidence will soar when they realize that Mom or Dad trusts them enough to try.”