Last week, one of our assignments for the Empowered to Connect Train-the-Trainer course was to spend a day saying “yes” to our children as much as possible.  Each time hubby and I were tempted to say “no,” we needed to ask ourselves why we were about to say “no” and if, instead, we could answer with a joyful “yes.”  Yeses build trust, and oftentimes parents answer negatively without truly considering the request.  There obviously needs to be a balance of nurture and structure, but so many of my personal answers of “no” are simply because I’m busy and trying to get one more thing crossed off my to-do list.  It’s not because the requests are unreasonable, only because mama has so much to do.  Saying “yes” more often gives parents focused opportunities for positive connection while building trust.  Makes complete sense but it’s easier said than done on some days!

So how’d it go?  I did end up saying many of my regular answers of “no,” like to the many requests from a certain child who asked to watch TV all day.  But I did say “yes” to all of the requests that required more of my time, like cuddling, playing, and helping to cook meals.  And you know what?  Those experiences were super sweet and we all enjoyed the time to connect.  While I still need to do laundry, wash the dishes, make meals, clean toilets, and all of that household stuff … I do realize that I need to take more time for those “yes” answers too.