Zara Says NO!

'Want pancakes?' asked Daddy, holding a plate of yummy pancakes. 'NO!' said Zara, crossing her arms. But her tummy rumbled. Hmm.

'Time to get dressed,' said Mummy, holding a pretty dress. 'NO! NO! NO!' shouted Zara. She wanted to wear pajamas all day!

'Want to go to the park?' asked Daddy. Zara LOVED the park! But... 'No,' she said. Wait—she wanted to say YES!

Grandma came to visit. 'Can I have a hug?' asked Grandma, arms open wide. 'NO!' said Zara. Grandma looked sad. Zara felt funny inside.

Zara sat by herself. No pancakes. No park. No Grandma hugs. Saying NO didn't feel good anymore. A tear rolled down her cheek.

Mummy sat next to Zara. 'It's okay to say no sometimes. But YES is powerful too!' she said. 'YES means you choose something good.'

Zara ran to Grandma. 'Can I have that hug now?' 'YES!' said Grandma. The hug felt wonderful! Zara grinned.

'Want to go to the park?' asked Daddy. Swings? Slides? Sandbox? 'YES PLEASE!' shouted Zara, jumping up to get her shoes.

At the park, Zara said NO when she needed to. And YES to the wonderful things! Zara was learning to use her powerful words. 'Can you think of a time when you said NO or YES? How did it feel?' And with that, Zara’s heart was full of joy. No was important, but YES opened doors to wonderful things!