Dear Parents
NO, the hardest to use and most important word in a parents' vocabulary.
The tough part for a parent, is their child’s reaction and the feeling of guilt that you get when they turn the water works on to try to get you to change your mind.
I have recently read the article “Why Parents Should Feel Good About Saying ‘NO’ to Their Children” by Melbourne Child Psychology and School Psychology Services.
The first couple of paragraphs go like this:
Saying ‘no’ frequently to your young children may be the opposite of your parental instincts.
But according to Georgia Manning ‑ counsellor, psychotherapist and the director of Wellbeing For Kids ‑ saying ‘no’ to your kids is one of the best things you can do for them.
Manning puts this down to the fact that many parents have shied away from saying ‘no’ to their children because of the ‘self-esteem movement’, where anything that could potentially damage a child’s self-esteem was frowned upon.
But as a result, ‘the pendulum has swung too far’.
‘We’ve gone from not being emotionally attuned with our children to thinking that protecting them from any discomfort or things that they don’t want to do is a way of showing love.’
I need your help and what I am asking you to do may cause some initial pain but it is for your children and in their best interests.
1. Say No to sleeping in. The most important part of the school day is the first two hours. This is when we concentrate on writing, reading, and spelling. Every day they miss out is a day they are further behind. Be at school by 8.45am.
2. Say No to lunches that are made up of chips, biscuits, lollies, chocolate, sugar drinks, and the massive collection of treats that are full of sugar. Type 2 Diabetes in children aged 10 to 14 has tripled in the last 10 years and the incidence is increasing every year. Evidence, including large-scale randomised control trials, shows type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed in up to 58 per cent of cases by maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and following a healthy eating plan. (Diabetes Australia.)
It is also cheaper!!
3. Say No to phones under Year 6 and no more than an hour playing electronic games after getting home from school.
I have written about the impact this has on your children at school on many occasions. WE will never be able stop children playing these games and probably shouldn’t as they do have some important skills in relation to future jobs and thinking skills BUT they are also detrimental to their development, especially social media!
Please read this article from Raising Children – the Australian parenting website.
Our job as parents and teachers is to instil in our children good habits For Life and a habit takes at least two weeks of constant focus to become a habit. We can help. Let your child’s teacher know when you are working at developing or changing a behaviour. We will support you. Please support us.
Thank you to everyone for being part of the Rawlinson Community and working hard to support our children to Learn for Life!
Kind regards
Darryl Dedman
