Why it's so important to say 'no' — and mean it — when talking to your child

Not allowing your son or daughter to do as they please helps set boundaries and teaches them to take more responsibility

Saying ‘no’ helps children know there is a bigger system beyond them. File picture

YOU should have said ‘no’ when your toddler grabbed the packet of jellies at the till. You didn’t because you knew there would a full-scale meltdown and you were just not up to having a public tussle with your two-year-old at the supermarket.

Saying ‘no’ to their child is not always comfortable for parents, says Chris Place, accredited counsellor and psychotherapist with the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and host of the TherapyTalks podcast.