"No" Isn't Negotiable

Whenever I venture into an Australian Post Office, I have always been curious of the odd assortment of goods sold there.  There are office related goods like notepads and envelopes, but the volume is mostly comprised of colourful cheap toys, a variety of "As Seen on TV" products, CD music compilations and gifts.  I have wondered often who would go to the Post Office to buy such things, and today I had this question answered.

A mum and two young daughters were queued in front of me, and the little one aged about six or seven asked her mother to buy her a notepad.  The request was immediately declined.  The little girl went on.  "Pleeeease...it has lines on it...I can practice my writing.  Pleeeease."  Within seconds of observing the behaviour of this little girl I knew beyond doubt she was wise to something her mother may not have realised:  "No" did not mean "No" and was negotiable.  "No" could be expertly overturned with persistence, a word that previous experience enforced countless times.  I was not surprised when she chose not to replace the book as asked, and slowly moved to the next spots on the carpet.

At the next stations there were plenty of new toys and reasons to buy them, the notebook now deposited among the Barbie products.  One offering was met with reasons why the purchase was unnecessary ("You already have four of these") and other with disdain:  "I'm not buying that."  As each toy was tossed aside to make way for the next, it was evident this was not a matter of need or expense:  it was a pitched battle of the will.  The little girl really didn't care about the items, but she wanted her way.  When it came time for the trio to approach the counter, all three had something in their hand and everything was purchased without question.  By this stage the older sister had ditched begging and simply handed her mother an item in silence, her actions revealing her unspoken expectation. 

The situation was as predictable as a children's story I had read a million times because "No" was negotiable.  Have you seen a child "read" a book before they can actually read, reciting the story verbatim without being able to read a single word?  The intelligence of children is not only seen with their recall but their ability to read people and use a situation for their advantage.  Jesus said to all His disciples in Matthew 5:37, "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' 'No.'"  The things we say we ought to do, and if your "No" is negotiable can your "Yes" be relied upon?  Praise the LORD we can rely upon Him to speak the truth without error, and what He has said we can count on Him to follow through.

Dear parents, you potentially do yourself and children harm when you do not do as you say.  Rewarding disobedience to a clear directive is a sure way to undermine your authority given to you by God as a parent.  Perhaps dropping $10 on a cheap toy seems a small price to pay to quiet a whining child and possibly avoid public embarrassment, but the long term cost will be far greater.  Better to say it once and ensure it is done than to repeat yourself emphatically 10 times and cave when it is time to parent-up.  A parent who holds fast to their integrity in private and public to do as they say will not need to beg, cajole, reason or repeat themselves--because kids can also learn "No" isn't negotiable.