As a mother of three, I always wanted to give the best for my children. I want to provide them with whatever food, toys, and things they WANT. However, I realize that sometimes, we should learn to say "NO" to our children's demands, especially if what they're asking for could actually harm them.
- Chocolate, candies and sweets
My second son once asked me to give him chocolates even though his voice is starting is sound hoarse due to his excessive consumption of sweets. If I hadn't noticed his voice, I would have willingly given him the chocolates to stop him from bugging me since I was busy during that time. I stopped what I was doing and sternly said,
"No anak, because you have already eaten too many chocolates and your voice is already hoarse. I'm afraid you'll have tonsillitis if I give you more."
Just like other children, my son still insisted on having more chocolates, so he started crying when I ignored him. This went on for at least 15 minutes before he finally calmed down and forgot about the chocolates.
2. Excessive use of gadgets
We are now in a digital era and children as young as 1 year old could easily navigate gadgets such as smartphones and tablets. With the increasing number of educational videos, nursery rhymes, and interactive games which we could access using different apps, it's tempting to simply give our children a gadget and leave them alone so that we could enjoy our own time.
This is a sad reality, but I am one of the guilty parents who resort to using gadgets to "silence" my children and to stop them from bugging me especially if I am busy with several reports which I need to finish.
But, when my children started to manifest eye problems with their dark circles and involuntary blinking, I instantly kept all the gadgets they were used to watch and play games. Yes, blame me for being an irresponsible parent, which I deeply regretted and cried my eyes out for, but this experience taught me to say no to my children's demands.
3. Too many toys
I understand that toys are important in developing my children's critical thinking, which is also a good way deviate their attention from using gadgets. However, as a parent, I make sure that the toys I buy them are of good quality, and not just a collection of objects which would be eventually thrown out or scattered in the house. So more often, I have to think hard and decide carefully before buying toys for my kids, that sometimes I had to say no whenever they point on different toys in the mall.
- The Lesson
Religiously speaking, there are times when we keep bugging God to give us things which we think we really need, and we get mad whenever He does not respond, or we do not get what we were fervently praying for. Just as how we know what's best for our children, we should acknowledge that sometimes God has to say NO to us because He's either keeping us away from harm or He is preparing something better for us.
