Apparently, it’s best not to over-use the word ‘no’ with toddlers, or it begins to lose all meaning. Easier said than done when your small person spends most of its time balancing on unstable objects and cramming dangerous-looking articles into its mouth. Here are a few alternatives, anyway…
- That’s not a good idea
- That is a really bad idea
- That is a seriously, seriously bad idea
- (I told you that was a bad idea)
- Mummy would rather you didn’t do that
- Shall we try doing it this way?
- Stop it
- Stop it please
- PLEASE STOP THAT
- Be careful
- Be extremely careful
- CAREFULLY
- Nope
- Negative! Negative!
- Not good. Not good at all.
- That is naughty behaviour
- That behaviour is a one-way ticket to naughty-town
- Can you not?
- Could you possibly desist what you’re doing?
- Ixnay on the oopid-stay
- Are you crazy?
- Shall we try not doing that?
- I bet you can’t not do that
- Wouldn’t it be a fun game to try not doing that?
- Look at mummy NOT DOING THAT
- (Daddy wouldn’t be impressed to see you doing that, you know)
- OK. Chocolate if you stop
- That’s right, CHOC CHOC
- Good boy.