Age 1
No!
“No!” and “I do it!” are signs that your child is growing. During this important time when your child’s ego is emerging, try to accept her naively strong self-assertions.
Does your child say . . .
- “No!” at mealtime, even though she should be hungry?
- “No!” at bedtime, even though she should be tired?
- “No!” when you try to hold her hand to go for a walk, even though she always loved going for walks?
Are you at a loss for what to do when your child says “No!” to everything?
Why does my child say “No!” to everything？
When your child says “No!” what she really means is, “I’m not a baby anymore. I don’t want to do whatever grown-ups say!”
But even though your child feels that she is ready to do things by herself, there are still many things she can’t do.
What should I do？
When your child won’t listen to anything you say . . .
Try doing something else to change her mood—and yours!- When your child tries to do something on her own that’s too hard . . .
It doesn’t matter if she can do it or not.
Let her try. Once she is satisfied, she will stop protesting.
If she wasn’t able to do it well, ask her nicely, “Did you want to _______?”
Your child will feel comforted because you understood her feelings.
Advice
If your child still says “No!” . . .
- Give her a chance to make a decision by saying, “Do you want to _______ or _______?”
- Don’t give in if your child wants to do something dangerous or socially unacceptable. Make the rules clear and don’t budge.