No means no.

Every parent has been there, your child asks for something that you don’t want them to have and when you say no you never hear the end of it. “Jonny’s gets it all the time in his lunch!”; “That’s not fare!” and “please, please, please ,please, please”.  If you have ever heard these lines this post is all about the art of saying no and sticking with it. I know it is hard, but hopefully with these tips you will be able to master the skill of saying no.   

It is important to set boundaries with your children, and this applies to rules in eating as well. Some house rules may be:

1. Wash your hand before you eat.

2. Sitting at the table when you eat.

3.  Eating what everyone else in the family is eating.

The following are some guidelines that will help you enforce your rules and make saying no easier:

1. Don’t be sorry about your rules. The rules you have put in place are there for a reason. They help ensure that your children learn boundaries and they develop healthy eating habits.

2. Don’t say “because I said so…” always explain why these rules are important. If they understand why the rules are important they are more likely to follow them.  

3.  The old “but Jonny’s family…” trick. DO NOT fall for this, simply explain to your children that every family eat differently and has different rules and then emphasize that your rules are in place to ensure that they stay safe and healthy, even if they may not like the rules all of the time.

4. Empathy goes a long way, remember that sympathizing with your children is good but do not compromise on your rules. If you stay consistent and steadfast your children will see your rules as the way it is, increasing your credibility.

Did you know!?

Many companies target their advertisements towards children. They target children because they count on the “nagging factor”- they count on the fact that your children will bug you for a certain product until you give in and buy it for them. Just another reminder of why saying no is so important.