saying no.

"You are all Buddhas
There is nothing you need to achieve.
Just open your eyes."
Siddhartha Gautama

Saying no with loving kindness.

Elliott asks Natalie if she has any gum.
"Hmmm. Let me check.
Yes, we do. Would you like a piece?"

Yes, he would like a piece. And so he has one.
Echo asks for gum. Natalie doesn't want her to have any. She is 22 months old. Elliott is going on four.

"No."

Sometimes we say NO

"Why?" asks Echo.

"Because gum is something that stays in your mouth. It's just for chewing. Your body wants to swallow. Your body hasn't learned about chewing gum and not swallowing and I want to help you keep your body healthy and safe."

"oh"

"Would you like to find something else that we can pretend is gum?"

"yeah."