Saying No to your child!

REMEMBER, saying ‘no’ to your child enables them to grow into responsible teenagers and adults with a balanced perspective of life. Children need to learn to live with limits. Saying ‘no’ is okay! It teaches them they can’t have everything they want when they want it. It teaches our children about respect for others and the environment.

Sometimes we all must do things we don’t want to do and saying ‘no’ helps teach our children that. Saying ‘no’ helps keep our children safe. It gives children a realistic view of the world, teaching them ‘they are not in charge, or the centre of the universe’. They are of course, the centre of our universe. We need to consistently tell them how much we love them.

Saying ‘no’ is one of the hardest parenting skills. We have to balance being too restrictive and punitive, while still disciplining. Disciplining our children doesn’t mean we are taking choice away from them. It is very hard to say ‘no’ to our children and find a firm voice, when we are exhausted and don’t want to cause confrontation, however it does help them to make good choices as they grow older.

Parenting Programs

https://www.learninglinks.org.au/services/parents-carers-families/

The website above provides a range of education and support programs to parents and carers who find themselves in situations testing your endurance and strength. They offer a variety of programs for students to participate in and parent webinars empowering parents and carers with information and practical strategies to best support the children in their care.

Anxiety and Teenagers

The following site has useful information for parents about anxiety in children, especially teenagers.

https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/mental-health/anxiety-and-teenagers