Conversations with Children #101

The Yes-No Game

Age: Two to Five

Her: No.*
You: Yes.

Her: No.
You: Yes.

Her: NO!
You: YES!

Her: NO!!!
You: NO!!!

Her: ----
You: NO!!!

Her: Yes?
You: No!

Her: Yes!
You: No.

Her: Yes.
You: Yes.

Her: No.
You: Yes.

Her: No.
You: No.

Her: Yes.
You: So pumpkin, look** at the the silly kitten...***

*The No can be about anything. What matters is you're going to turn the No itself into a game. A fun game. Just like hide and seek.

**Keep switching till she's having fun, then change subjects. Ta-da!

***It's not okay to trick them into doing the original No. Fair's fair. Distract them, then change the subject. Done properly you'll have the kid laughing and playing with you as you switch back and forth between Yes and No. Remember -- it's a GAME.

Like Conversations with Children? Read The Augustlet Chronicles.