NEWS
LIFESTYLE
FUNNY
WHOLESOME
INSPIRING
ANIMALS
RELATIONSHIPS
PARENTING
WORK
SCIENCE AND NATURE
Contact Us Privacy Policy
© GOOD Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Parents discuss the gentle parenting method of saying yes to kids' 'weird' ideas that mean a lot to them

The main purpose of the gentle parenting approach is to encourage a partnership between the parent and the child.

Parents discuss the gentle parenting method of saying yes to kids' 'weird' ideas that mean a lot to them
Cover Image Source: Twitter/Lucy Huber

More often than not, when kids rush to their parents with some wild plan or idea, they're quickly shut down with a resounding no. Most parents fall into this pattern of instantly rejecting any unorthodox propositions put forward by their young ones, simply because they're often too tired to deal with the possibly disastrous outcome of the proposed idea. Over time, saying "no" becomes an automatic response. However, Twitter user Lucy Huber recently decided to say "yes" for once. In a Twitter thread that's been liked more than 210,000 times, Huber explained how agreeing to her 2-year-old son's desire to take his Hot Wheels ramp into the bath with him turned out to be a great experience for the both of them.



 



 

 

Huber's tweet struck a chord with many on Twitter, prompting a number of them to share how they too have tried this gentle parenting method and been pleasantly surprised by the results.



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

According to Sarah Ockwell-Smith, parenting expert and author of the 2016 book "The Gentle Parenting Book," gentle parenting can be defined in three words: empathy, understanding and respect. The main purpose of this approach is to encourage a partnership between the parent and the child. Irina Matveeva—Ukrainian psychologist and certified NLP specialist—believes that saying "no" to small kids can often negatively affect them.



 

 

"When we say 'No' to a small child, it often negatively affects them," Matveeva told Bored Panda. "If an adult can logically explain the reason for almost any refusal, then the toddler may well perceive that they are being refused because they're either bad or doing something wrong. Some parents and teachers believe that agreeing with the child on everything means spoiling them. Of course, there is such a risk, so it is important to stay on the edge, not fall into coaxing the kid."



 



 

 

"But in any case, don't be afraid to approve of their ideas–when they grow up, they will perfectly learn to restrain themselves when it's important. For now, you just develop their creativity. And if the child offers something outstandingly weird–yes, it happens too, maybe just try to switch their attention to something no less interesting," Matveeva added. Here's what some more Twitter users had to say on the subject:



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 

More Stories on Scoop