day 191:
i'm trying desperately not to overuse the word No! with Limi. it's probably a case of thinking about it all a bit too hard (you know....lots of time on my hands at the moment and a companion who is only mastering the vowel sounds.) but in these hard-thinking times, i've decided that it would be very easy to become a No household. 'No limi, don't touch!', 'No pulling!', 'No, you can't eat that.' I don't want her overriding memory to be the word 'No'.....In a very Obama-esque way, I want a 'Yes' house.
now I just need to figure out how to say: 'No, stop yanking out my hair'...without sounding like something out of a New Age parenting guide: 'Limi, i would really appreciate it if you didn't pull at my hair in that fashion'.....hmm....that just doesn't cut it.
i know EXACTLY what you mean! it's hard finding alternatives.
ReplyDeletei use the word "gentle" with Lily. whenever she is pulling on my hair, earrings, plants, i say "gentle"...it's working.
i also try to introduce her to something else when i don't want her to touch or play with whatever she is playing with. doesn't always work so then there is the word "no.". ;)
how about ah-uh? you know, the 'no' sounding ah-uh? anyway, once they start moving, the no-word becomes pretty frequent I'm afraid! I overuse it everyday, though would use it less if my toddler could get to grips with the household boundaries a bit faster- no Hamish, don't eat books, no Hamish don't bang metal items onto the glass tv cabinet and so on....
ReplyDeleteI agree with Claudia's comment, the parenting books all say 'offer a replacement behaviour' so gentle, or put it (instead of throw) but you do need to limit the unwanted beahviour with no!
Good luck with this one Dee, and please share any ideas! x