Testing the Fence Line
Children push back on limits not to win, but to check the fence still holds. Researchers at Zero to Three found kids test limits because they want to know the limit is solid — it's how they feel safe, not how they misbehave. The arguing isn't the problem. It's the checking.
Try this
Hold the Line, Skip the Debate
Say the no once, calmly, then stop explaining. Try, "I hear you want more, the answer is still no" — and let the silence do the rest.
Let Them Feel the No
Some families step back after the no lands and let the disappointment run its course without rescuing it.
So when the fence holds and the fussing starts, what's your instinct — jump back in, or wait it out?
When the fence holds and the fussing starts, what's your instinct?
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