Can you say "NO" to a child?

I have a different view on this. My son will soon be 2, and has entered his crying and being stubborn phase already. But i keep the limits, i decide what to allow and what not to. Kids are way too smart than we think, for with my son i know he has understood by now that crying is getting him nothing. My MIL sometimes tell me that I am very strict with such a small child, but i feel habit starts forming from early age. As a parent, i will make sure he learns to take no and failures as well. That doesn't mean I love him any less or his tears don't bother me. But this is my personal thought. And every parents have their own!

Children have to learn that they can not always get things that they want. They should learn NO from an early age. My grandson currently does not like me saying NO to him. He thinks I am being horrible to him and will sit on the stairs crying and saying I am being horrible. Within two minutes all is forgotten until I say the word no again! This child will grow up a spoilt little brat if they do not teach him that sometimes it is for the best.

i could easily say no.i don't have kids..so they'd be someone elses but seriously..letting a child figure out throwing a fit is the way to get what you want is a bad bad road to go down.it never stops after that point..even worse if they figure out you're embarassed by it and want them to stop.

Its very wrong. I don't have children but I had a good practice. My nephew came to stay in the house when he was turning 4. When ever he wanted something he will go and cry. My mom doesn't like it and make me deal with it. Found at that in his other grandparents house all he needs to do was cry or make a scene to get what ever he wants. In our house that was so wrong. So I trained myself not to give in all the time. In a week he learned that crying will get him to nowhere. So when he started schooling he wasn't like the other kids that cry every time their parents leave them in the class room.

Yes they do wrong .I think it's best to make child able to struggle with life.If he get what he want then he really become lazy..

A lot of people do this with they're children. It is why we have the self entitled generation that don't think they have to work for a thing now in my opinion. I honestly don't think it is right at all. I have no issue telling my kids no and making them work for what they want!

Perhaps you could advise your friends that people who give in to children when they are young are people wondering why they have a teenager throwing tantrums later on. I can say no to children - my own or other people's. Then again, I've worked with children (if you count babysitting) since I was 12 (so almost 25 years) and I've been a Mum for 17 years so maybe it's easy for me! I've not often said no to my own children but that's mainly because I've rarely had to. They don't ask for things and they're usually well-behaved. My partner tells me I'm very lenient but I don't really have any need to be strict with them. They learned from a very early age what is acceptable and what is not. If you keep giving in to children, if you let them think that crying is how to get their own way, and you don't try to discipline them, then you'll have problems.

I wholly agree with you. Children have to learn to know what are their limits. And they have to obey.

I had this kind of problem as with so many other Parents. I never spoiled mine but there he would go throwing a tantrum right in the middle of the floor where everyone could see him. This is the truth that is what he would do. So I kept my cool all I could every time he did it and did not shout or over act or try to please him. Just stood my ground with a silent no and he stopped doing it overtime. But it was a very long time too but I kept there firmly and it was no. He did not like that but that is what gets them to understand that they can´t have it all their way. Its tough in a way but its the way I did it.

Parents need to guide their children so they know right from wrong - the sooner the better. I don't know what they are waiting for, but the older they are, the harder it's going to be to teach them - especially if they've gotten their way for so long.

Compromise. As a parent you are a guardian to your child. A 5 year old tests you. If you can't control them at this age, how can you when they are 10? You are right, they have a potential spoilt adult. Parents treat their kids as pets, unfortunately both suffer if they continue with this treatment. There should be rules, otherwise check on the super nanny, Jo Frost.

Because of child abuse laws a lot of parents hesitate to take harsher measures. Psychology can only go so far but the saying "spare the rod and spoil the child" still has it's merit.

Maybe that is their way of loving him since he is the only child. They want their child to be happy and spoiling them is the best thing for him.

No matter what the case may be, in one or two times, we should learn to say no to a child. They will cry for sure, but crying won't kill them, it will make them strong. If you can't say no to a child, how do you correct such a child, how do imbibe good principles into such a child. Though the cry might make us feel pity but it's for the child's own future. Train up a child in the way he should go, when he's old, he never depart out of it. When you train your child well, you will have peace when you are old, but if not, you'll blame yourself for not doing the right thing

I used to work at a preschool. We were actually not allowed to tell the children "no." We would have gotten in trouble. We had to use positive wording, redirection, etc. instead of saying no or disciplining. I didn't really agree with that, although I understood the rationale-- you wouldn't want any upset parents coming in mad that we were disciplining their child in a way that did not match their views. However, it is absolutely essential to set boundaries for children. More importantly, you need to be CONSISTENT. It's easier said than done. I have two daughters now. Some days, I'm in a bad mood and snap over things that I don't usually snap over. Some days I really want to eat ice cream, so we eat ice cream-- even if I really shouldn't be giving the girls treats that day. Sometimes it is really hard to say no. Sometimes it is hard to stay consistent or patient, etc. But it's really important to try. Of course, you really can't TELL them how to raise their own child. Except in cases of abuse/neglect, it's really best to step back and let the parents do their thing. Keep in mind that some people are different in public than in private-- I know that, sometimes, I worry about disciplining my children in public because people can be so judgmental. Maybe they do have more boundaries at home, when no one is around. Or not. But I really don't think that telling them to "stop it" will help anything, and may actually create more conflict.

you are the parents and you make the decisions, you need to figure out what is and what is not good for them

I would ask them how soon they'd like to visit their child in a jail cell @TheInvisibleMan . At the rate this kid's going, he'll be in one at probably age 10. There are boundaries and the word, "NO" is one of them. If the kid wants to have a fit, send him to his room and tell him he's not coming out until he stops the bad behavior.

Children need to learn the meaning of the word early!

dont hesistate to say no to a child. in fact it really help the child in life. child should understand there are things they cant get . it helps to build their character. if they are saying yes to every need of child, they are doing harm to the child.

I like childrens at a particular limit of mine... I love them as they also make me child with them. They loved to play hide and seek with me.....