If you have little kids, you may find yourself saying ânoâ to them more times a day than you can count. And because toddlers are all over the place, you may be constantly telling them to âget downâ as well. But one mom says she doesnât use these words with her kids and she says her decision not to say them has âmassivelyâ helped her family.
Kelly Medina Enos calls herself a âgentle parent.â What does that mean? Itâs a parenting style that focuses on willingness and choices, instead of rules and demands. And in Kellyâs case, rather than telling her little ones ânoâ or to âget down,â she uses more positive phrases like:
- âOkay, on the floor pleaseâ
- âHow are you going to get down from there?â The mom says this one allows the child to think their plan through.
- And if the kid still wonât come down, Kelly suggests asking, âEither you can put your feet on the floor or Mommy can help you, which one would you like?â
- But what if your child is a âchronic climber,â like many toddlers are? She suggests investing in something made specifically for them to climb safely.
And what does she do when her tots still wonât listen to her gentle parenting suggestions? âRedirection in that case is absolutely key,â Kelly explains, adding that she tells her child what theyâre doing isnât safe while offering the safe alternative for them to use. âThat way, youâre not stopping them from doing that thing they clearly love doing, youâre just redirecting them and telling them where they can do it, but in a safe environment.â