17 Ways to Say "No"

Yesterday Jason and I discussed the possibility that Owen has become desensitized to the word "No" because he has heard it so often and still refuses to heed it.

"No Owen, you can't eat the furniture,dirt, bugs, sticks, leaves, garbage..."
"No Owen, you can't climb on the furniture, the fireplace, the piano, your stroller, the boxes, the stage during a band concert..."
"No Owen you can't hit your brother, touch the baby's eyes, sit on the cat, play in the street, take their basketball, take the screen off the speaker, get in the dishwasher, play with a fork..."


No Owen, you can't eat ashes from the fireplace!

This conversation reminded me of a list I have on the fridge, 17 Ways to Say "No". I got it from a Newsweek in 2004. I think saying "NO" is a lost art of parenting. When my parents said "No", I knew they were also saying

We love you too much...
to spoil you.
not to teach you this lesson.
to let you get hurt.
to let you do something this fooling.
to let you make such a bad choice.
to let you ruin your life.

So here is the list dedicated to John and Judy and all the other parents who aren't afraid to say "No"!

17 Ways to Say No

1) No
2) No, for sure
3) No and that's final
4) No! Don't ask me again!
5) I have thought about it and the answer is still no.
6) We don't have the money for that right now.
7) You already have enough of those.
8) I don't approve of it.
9) Nice try.
10) I already know you know how to beg.
11) Go find something else to do.
12) I am starting to get really angry with you.
13) Your whining makes me thing you already have too many toys.
14) I remember saying no.
15) Who is the grown-up here?
16) I am not going to change my mind about this!
17) It's your money, but I am in charge.