Growing up, I have received a lot of the word “no” from my parents, and you might have as well, too. And, if you’re a parent, you might have said a lot of “nos” to your kids. But how often should a child be corrected? When does the word become detrimental to a child?
While redirecting toddlers and small children is often necessary to help keep them safe, as they grow and start to explore their world, the negative reinforcements often increase. They have curfews; limits on their television watching or video game playing; bedtimes, etc. Then, as children turn into adolescents, they start to test the limits of their household rules. They want to assert their independence which can lead to household friction. As a result, the “no’s” may increase. Then, as they go through their teenage years, their pushing of boundaries can lead to even more negative responses.
While the word “no” is not in and of itself a problem, constantly hearing negative feedback can be detrimental to a child's healthy development. As children grow, they are constantly exploring who they are and testing their limits. They want to be able to do what they want when they want. This manifests itself in them asking for more and more freedoms, even freedoms they may not be ready for. For example, they may want to sleep over at their girlfriend’s house, or feel school is a waste of time and want to quit.
Read more about this over at Psychology Today.
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