I Said "NO!"

"NO" what an awful sounding word.

"Daddy, can I have an ice cream cone?"
"No."

"Mom, can I go to the Mall with Alex?"
"No."

"Dad, can I use the car Friday night for the game?"
"NO!"

We're all used to the down side of "no". We have all been kids, and had great hopes or plans, only to have them smashed to pieces by that cruel word.

However, if you are or have been a parent, you know the other side of that scenario.

"Daddy, can I have an ice cream cone?"
"No. It is 45 minutes until supper, and if you have one now, it will ruin your appetite."

"Mom, can I go to the Mall with Alex?"
"No. Last time you were with Alex, he left you at the mall and you had to call me to come get you. I don't like him; he is very irresponsible. I am afraid what might happen to you if you go to the Mall with him."

"Dad, can I use the car Friday night for the game?"
"NO! The last three times you took the car to the game on Friday night, you were (1) out until 2:00 AM, (2) got a ticket for wreckless driving, (3) ran over someone's dog."

Maybe next time you hear the word "NO" the first thought should be, "exactly what are they saying 'NO' to?" and the second, "could it be that 'NO' is an appropriate answer to this?"

I am guessing that how you answer those to questions might depend of if you are still a child, or an adult (and I am not basing that on whether you are older than 18 or not, but whether you have taken responsibility for your own life, or if you still rely on others to provide for you.)

Buz