Why Not?

As parents, in our every day lives there are many things we say no to... for absolutely no reason. 

Our kids often ask to do things and our immediate, unthinking answer is NO. Often because it's "just not what we do" or we just dont want to take the time...

Why can't they color on the walls?

Why can't they wear mismatched clothes?

Why can't they run the house naked?

Why can't they dye their hair pink?

Why can't they walk backwards for a day?

What if, instead of an immediate no... Your answer was, "You know what kid? Why not?"

We can't always say yes, that much is apparent, but must we always say no? Does it really matter if she wears her Elsa dress to the store? Does it really matter if he wears pig tails today? Does it really matter if you have root beer floats for breakfast once in a while?

Every time we give a flat no, especially when we could easily say yes instead, we suck a little magic from their lives. Why can't we just slow down and take the time? What's the real reason we are saying no?

The next time you immediately say no to an idea or question of your kiddo's - Pause and think about it. Think about whether there is a legitimate reason to say no or not. If there is, empathize and give a brief explanation and then stick to it. If there really isn't... Then go back and say yes! Because why not!

Sometimes we cannot say yes to a direct request, but that doesn't automatically mean we have to say no either! If you can't necessarily say yes, take the time to find a compromise you can commit to!

Ex : You live in a rental and can't let your kiddo color on the walls. Maybe instead, you could draw the house on a piece of paper and let them show you their vision. Or tape paper to the wall and let them color that!

There is always room in our lives for compromise and teamwork. Our children's wants and needs are just as important as anyone else's, so why not, instead of saying no all the time and "dealing with" tantrums as a result, why not put in a little extra effort to make everyone happy? We can't always make everyone happy, no doubt, but our little ones shouldn't always be the ones who get the short end of the stick. They grow up so quickly, so why not give it a try?