When "no" means "yes"

Question: When does "no" really mean "yes"? Or vice versa??

Spencer was the first one to use the words "yes" and "no". In fact, I think he used "yes" before he used "no". He would nod his head when in agreement. It was the cutest thing.

Then one day he suddenly stopped nodding and everything became "no". We then had to determine if he really meant "no" or if he meant "yes" by the way he said it or if he smiled when he said it.

Hannah on the other hand started with "no". And not just any "no". There were times when she was pretty forceful when using that word. And if she didn't say "no" when asked something that was her way of saying "yes".

But now Hannah & Spencer are getting to the point where they are communicating with their words (a lot of words). Sometimes they even come out in full sentences. But there are those times that what they say comes out more like gibberish than actual understood English. And when they aren't understood or are told "no" that's when the temper tantrum happens.

When the temper tantrum occurs I try to explain why. You're probably thinking, "yeah, right, reason with a 2 year old. Don't make me laugh.". But it does happen sometimes that I can get them thinking about something else and the temper tantrum dies down and they stop. This happened just yesterday.

Sunday afternoons at our house are quiet time. Everyone under the age of 8 are to nap while the 3 older kids have the option. But if they don't nap they have the responsibility of getting the babies up when they wake up so that Mom & Dad can take a nap.

So yesterday afternoon, I had woken up before Todd and was trying to get Spencer to leave Daddy alone so he could rest some more. Todd had gone to a midnight showing with "the boys" on Thursday night and then we went to Nashville on Friday night and got home around 12:30am. He needed the naptime a little more than me. Anyway, Spencer was NOT budging by the bedside. He was even trying to pull the covers off his Dad so Todd would get up.

This is where my tactic comes into play. I ask Spencer if he wants some cookie dough. (It's almost a ritual at our house that during naptime the older girls make cookie dough that we later bake for an after dinner treat.)

Spencer didn't respond.

I then ask if he wants a cookie.

He turns to me and yells "YES!!" so I think I've got him. Then I tell him he needs to come downstairs with me to get his cookie.

He looks at me with his face all scrunched up and yells, "NO!!"

Did he really want the cookie?? You bet he did. He just didn't want to leave Daddy to get it.
So the answer to my question would be: When you're dealing with toddlers.



PS: I DID get Spencer to come down and get a cookie. He even got a spoonful of cookie dough while he waited for the cookie to bake.