Try saying yes for a change

My Lessons From The Video

It all sounded similar to me. Wasn’t I doing the same thing to my son? Whenever I gave my instructions they always started with “don’t do this” or “don’t do that”. Don’t eat from the roadside. Don’ts and ‘NO’s’ – is what I was feeding his growing mind; and when I saw this video, I realised it was time for me to change. While I was being a cautious mom and saying ‘NO’ to my son for playing outside because it may rain, what I didn’t realise was that my son has taken my ‘NO’ – as in instruction to be carried out at all times. So, I feel, it doesn’t always have to be a blatant ‘NO’; a simple ‘YES’ can make a whole lot of difference in your child’s mind, behaviour and eventually his or her personality.

As moms, we are only trying to protect our children from dangers; however, what we don’t realise is how our child is taking that ‘NO’ in his or her mind. Since I am a working mom I didn’t realise what was happening till I saw this video and realised where I was going wrong and hence I took a pledge to be a #YesMom.

The moment I became a #YesMom I started seeing a marked behaviour in my son. I saw his confidence grow; his shyness to open up to strangers was receding and he could even go and strike a meaningful conversation with children older to him. However, I am not saying that you always have to give in and say ‘YES’ for everything. For instance, a few days back when my son was recovering from fever, he asked me if he could go for cycling with the other kids on our block. I didn’t immediately respond with a straight ‘NO’ but I said, “How about we watch a fun film together this evening, followed by yummy soup. And tomorrow when you feel stronger and better, you go for cycling.” He was happy and so was I.

Today, my relationship with my son has improved. I have joined the #YesMom Movement, only because I learnt that while being cautious is normal, I can at least try saying ‘YES’ to my son so that his confidence doesn’t take a beating and he is raised in a positive environment.

 

Disclaimer: #YesMom campaign is an initiative by ActivKids Immuno Boosters by Cipla to provide a unique nutritional supplement for kids that helps build their immunity. Please check the website for more details. Opinions expressed above are independent opinions of the writer.