Yes is Yes and No is No

Have you found yourself in this situation? Your kids are extra crazy and getting on your last nerve when one of them says, "Mom (dad), can we eat our lunch outside today?" You, in your current state of frazzled parenthood, respond with a quick and adamant, NO. But after thinking about it for a few minutes, you realize it wouldn't be a big deal and it might be kinda fun so you change your mind and give the kids the okay to eat outside.

No big deal, right? You, my friend, just set yourself up for battle. When we tell our kids no, or yes for that matter, and then change our minds, we are giving them the right to assume this will happen all the time. "If I ask and get a no, I can continue to plead my case until I get my way cuz they changed their mind before."

So make your yes, YES and your no, NO and be consistent. There is nothing wrong with telling your child you need a moment to think about your answer. Will there be times it is unavoidable to change an answer? Sure, but if your child is old enough to understand, give them a reason for the change that tells them it is not the norm for the change of answer.

This also teaches our kids that we are people of our word, they can trust us and they in turn should be people of their own word. Our children need to know they can always trust us! Consistency helps your child know what is acceptable in your home and what is not. You will win many battles later on in their growing up by being consistent while they are young. You may not even have to go through some battles by setting the standard now. That's a great thing!