12 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • March 2017 12 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • March 2017
When Toddlers
Say,
5
Ways to Manage
the Madness
"NO!"
The moment your child utters her
first word, you'll probably want
to announce it to the world, while
quickly marking the occasion in her
baby book. You probably won't be so
thrilled, however, when her word of
choice evolves into the very opinion-
ated word "no." Although this is a
frustrating and challenging stage of
development, it is completely normal.
Jen Mann-Li, a mother of two,
describes her daughter Sadie, 3, as a
"pro" at using the word no. "She was a
late talker, didn't really talk until she
was almost 2-years-old, and no was a
favorite right away," Mann-Li says.
Mann-Li says that Sadie refuses to be
distracted from what she wants. "She's
very stubborn and will not budge
(sometimes literally)," she says. "We
have a saying that Sadie will 'die on
that hill' and she does daily over these
'silly' things."
WRITTEN BY CHRISTA MELNYK HINES
PHOTOGRAPY BY STEPHANIE JOHNSON
