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- Saying "no" to kids can be a reflex for many parents.
- But saying it too often can have lasting damage.
- However, there are some scenarios where you should never be afraid to tell a kid no.
- Parenting expert Laura Markham shares nine times parents should say "no" to their kids.
Parents say no a lot. It's a reflex response, and often instinctual. For a child, hearing the word no too often does have a lasting effect on them.
According to child psychologist Laura Markham, Ph.D., author of "Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids" and founder of the lifesaving website Aha! Parenting, saying no to kids makes them think inside the box. "The child shuts down," she says, "They feel their initiatives are shut down."
As a parent, I want to say yes to my son all the time. Even when I need to say no, I try my damndest to give him some kind of affirmation. But hearing the word no is important, too. According to Dr. Markham, saying no to your child helps with setting boundaries and limits, which aid in their development - emotionally, physically and mentally. Never saying it, Markham says, can leave children ill-equipped to deal with the real world.
Below, Markham shared nine times you should always say no to your kid.