Mum explains why her daughter’s habit of saying ‘no’ is a good thing

Parents have had a mixed reaction to this.

Joelle Wisler is mum to a six-year-old girl who knows her own mind and in a lengthy Facebook post, the writer explains why this is a good thing. The mum of two shares that her little girl has no problem with looking her straight in the eyes and saying no. Joelle says that this happens often and for many reasons, but don't be fooled either because her daughter doesn't always get her own way.

"She does this often, for many different reasons. From not wanting to wash her face, eat her dinner, go to bed, clean her room, brush her hair, come inside, go outside, stop saying words for five seconds. She doesn't always get her way, obviously. She's not rude. She always says, "please," and "thank you," at the appropriate times. She's loving. She's kind-hearted. She's just very comfortable with saying no. To me. To anyone".

Joelle explains that as an adult, she finds it difficult to say no sometimes and that's why she's pleased to see her daughter standing up for herself at such a young age.

"I’m much older than her, and I still have trouble telling people no, let alone looking them in the eyes and saying it"

She acknowledges that her daughter's tendency to say no hasn't been smooth sailing and as a parent, it has been difficult at times. However, ultimately she's happy that her little girl isn't afraid to speak her mind and this will stand to her as she grows older.

"So, in the end, I want her to keep saying no. To me. To her dad. to her brother. To teachers. To boys. To bosses. To rules that she doesn't believe in. "For all of you parents who are dealing with your own brand of girl warriors, we are in this together. If we can survive their childhoods, the future will be, indeed, female".

You can check Joelle's post out in full here and as you'll see in the comments section, there's been a mixed reaction from other parents. Some think this parenting style could encourage bossy, negative behaviour while others have said that it's an empowering decision and one that will stand to her little strong-spirited little girl.