Say Yes as Much as You Can

“Mom, can I have a muffin?” It was a simple question and one that caused me to pause. Micaela asked me this question in the middle of the afternoon. The kids had already had a snack so it’s not like Micaela was hungry. I responded, “Yes, you may.” She lit up and enjoyed eating her muffin.

Some of you reading this may think I am crazy, but that’s okay. Jonathan and I decided early in our parenting years to say “Yes” as much as we can. How did this come about?

Experiment

We realized we said “No” way too much. It felt like every question asked by our kids came with the answer No. Things needed to change. We decided to experiment and say “Yes” as much as we could. The dynamics of our home changed so much that we knew we were on to something. The kids were so much happier and honestly Jonathan and I were too. I didn’t feel like a dictator and I also felt more relaxed.

Please understand that we do not say “Yes” to things that are morally wrong or hurtful to our children or someone else. We say “Yes” within reason. I knew letting Micaela have another muffin wasn’t going to ruin her dinner, so I said “Yes.”

Last month, the kids and I went to visit the new Martin’s Side Door Deli in town. They wanted to ride the elevator. I said “Yes” because it was safe to do. Other people were not using the elevator and I knew we wouldn’t bother anyone.

Grocery Shopping

Earlier this year, Caleb and I did our grocery shopping at Walmart. As we pulled into the parking lot, Caleb spotted two buses. “Mom, can we park by the bus?” I almost let my initial response come out. Honestly, I did not want to park by the bus. It was at the end of the parking lot and it would be a long walk on a cold day. But, then I stopped myself and said “Yes.” The pure joy on Caleb’s face made it all worth it.

Inside the store, we picked up a packet of napkins. Caleb asked me to play football with it. I paused and thought about it “Will this be hurtful to others?” The answer was no, so I said “Yes” to Caleb.We had so much fun playing football. An older gentleman passed by us with a big grin on his face as he watched us. That was a confirmation of my “Yes.”

Say Yes

On an average day, which word do you say more, “No” or “Yes”? I encourage you to take the challenge and say Yes as much as you can. Surprise your kids or even your spouse by saying “Yes” to something you would normally say “No” to. Get ready to have some fun!

I would love to hear what happens. If you already are in the habit of saying “Yes” as much as you can, please comment below with a story of your own. I would love to hear it.