Children of all ages have a very strong sense of agency, meaning they have a desire to make their own choices and get their needs met. They yearn for autonomy and independence, and want to be able to influence how they spend their time, and so on.

What does this mean for parents?

It means we need to be conscious and intentional about the way we communicate with our child every day. Of course we have our own needs, our own routines and timings for what needs to get done. Boundaries are not to be forgotten! However it's important for us to be mindful of how we say "no" to our child, not only for our child's wellbeing and emotional state but for the benefit of our connection with them as well.

This parent guide called Respectful Ways We Can Say "No" is a simple, straight-forward list of creative phrases we can use instead of saying a hard no, don't, stop it... phrases we often feel we say all the time!

Disclaimer:

By downloading this resource you agree to use it for personal use only, not for commercial purposes, including but not limited to education settings, therapy clinics, facilities, support services.