Figuring out when and where

To a mom asking about why a store wouldn't let her kid climb on the employee's stairs, or ladder, I wrote:

Always saying no is bad.
NEVER saying no is just as bad.

Helping children figure out when and where they can do things is great.

YES children can run and should run, but ANYwhere? No.
YES children should be able to climb up and look around, but ANYwhere? No.

"Yes, somewhere else" can be a good answer, but then the parents need to find that somewhere else QUICKLY, soon, that day, not a month or a year later.

SandraDodd.com/partners/child
photo by Cathy Koetsier


see also Up