I have come across a number of articles that when teaching toddlers the meaning of the word "no" parents should be consistent. For example, when you see your toddler putting things inside his mouth, you tell him to stop doing it or simply say "no, don't do that." When the little tot doesn't abide, you keep on saying the magic word until he does what you told him to do. If he does it again after 5 minutes, parents, most often than not are already tempted not to call the attention of their kid. After all, it is also tiring to keep on saying these things and sound like a broken record. But experts say, you must. The consistency on the part of the parents will likely to be the best tool to teach the toddlers that you are serious and you mean business.
Well, how about if it's the other way around? The little tot telling you "no"...would you stop and do what he says?
Well, I had this experience just this afternoon. We went to church this afternoon and while the priest was giving the homily and my 2-year old son was sitting on the lap of his Papa, I quietly got the mass guide on the seat and read the reflection part. I was still not done reading it when my son got down from his Papa and got the paper from me. He put the paper back to the seat beside his Papa and said this to me "Mum, no more" I told him, "can I please borrow it again?" He said with much conviction and with actions this time "no more, no more, no more." What would you do?
At that moment I was torn to just get the paper again and tell him thru my actions that "hey, look I'm the older one here, so I do want I want to do." But at that moment also, maybe thru God's wisdom, it occured to me as well that if I did get the paper after he said "no more" it might give a different impression on my little boy. Maybe, just maybe, if I got the paper again and continued reading, he would think that "Ah ha! Maybe I can do that as well...continue to do what I want to do even if mum says no! She just did it." If I did it, I would have totally contradicted myself. All these efforts of teaching him to follow me whenever I tell him "no" will just be put to waste. Maybe I'm thinking too advanced now, but let us not underestimate these little ones. We may be surprised as to how these kids absorb what they see around them.
And so there I was, so hopeless. I gave in to my little one. I did not get the piece of paper even if I wanted to, very much. I stopped myself because as they say, parents are the best teachers to their kids. Modelling is the key, as many would point out. I want my little tot to learn that when Mum says no, she means no. So I did it when he had the chance to say no to mum. I just hope that this incident taught him that.
It's funny how kids like our lovable little toddlers can turn the tables on us without trying too much, and teach us a lesson along the way as well.
Well, I did get to finish reading the reflection on the mass guide. That is because I ended up bringing home the mass guide with us =D
