HOPE THIS HELPS..MY MOTHER WHO HAS 7 CHILDREN ALWAYS SAID "THERE IS ONLY ONE RULE FOR CHILDREN ....  STICK TO IT AND ALL WILL BE WELL"    "NO MEANS NO". IN OTHER WORDS WHEN YOU SAY NO TO ANYTHING MAKE SURE YOU MEAN IT...MAYBE YOUR BEAUTIFUL BOY THINKS IT'S A GAME BECAUSE ...NO CAN ALSO MEAN IF I NAG ENOUGH  OR BE CUTE ENOUGH   NO CAN BECOME YES!

i have 4 sons now aged 21-12. all little ones at some stage think that 'no' is a game. the only thing i can suggest is the learn by experience method. if he asks for something and you say no, then make sure he doesn't get it. it can be pretty exhausting but just stick to no meaning no and he will eventually get it. just because he is thinking of it as a game doesn't mean that your not doing your job as a good mum. people who lay blame on these things in my opinion are not really worth listening to. your son is your child not theirs. as long as your not backing down from your no answer then i think he probably is just having fun. the game is to make you repeat yourself or to probably get you to give in. stand your ground with your little one and try really hard to ignore those who give you a hard time. no one ever said parenting was going to be a breeze and those that do must be fortunate enough to afford a live in nanny and maid. hang in there hun, it will all work out. = )

My son is 14months, since he was little I have tried not to use NO too much, I found by saying you are NOT ALLOWED to touch that and THAT IS NAUGHTY and explain why That is Mummys etc or that is for Adults (big people) things along those lines they soon learn and being longer than no they don't tend to copy.  Also if they are touching something they are not allowed to Ask them not to if they continue pick them up and move them away and tell them again. I found I couldn't say No because some of the naughty things they do are so cute you can't help but laugh.  Just try one week where no is not in your vocabulary, see what happens.  GOOD LUCK.

Ha,ha clever little boy, he knows exactly what No means, but then who in their right mind would believe that the persons they love the most would ever want to really stop him enjoying himself,LOL

I see it in our own 3yr old,LOL. She laughs at me and you can see her thinking "Nah she's not serious,LOL. Oh but I am and thats where finding the right consequence for ignoring comes in,LOL.

You carry on finding out what works best for yours, star chart,time out, loss of toy, whatever and above all ignore the nay sayers. They infact dont know your child like you do. So do whats best for you and him is the issue at the end of the day, not what fits others theories.

Praise his good behaviour to the max and frown,ignore,penalise naughty behaviour, in the end he will get the idea.

Best Wishes,Luv Winnie.xxxx

my son 3 is autistic and i have this problem alot. When B does something naughty, any reaction from us is a reinforcement for him, any reaction. So therfore we have to ignore the behaviour, turn around and walk away, if you give him no attention, it is not rewrding the behaviour. This seems very hard and it was for me at first, but it is the only way to get thru that his behaviour is unwanted, because B cant understand what im saying all he gets is blah blah blah but he sees the animation in your body when he does things and reacts, so often gets the wrong message. I dont know if you have ever seen the simpson episode when Bart is trying to train Santas little helper (the dog) he can see the actions but cant understand the words. But if he hits me, and i walk away (the important thing is not to react to being hit) just walk away, he knows that mum doesnt want to play any more and he wants me to play. Its hard to explain, its hard to do but for us it works, maybe it will help you.

try the cross/angry face at the same time or use someone else eg other child, dad maybe and tell that person no in front of the little one so he can see that no is not a joke also change the tone in your voice, putting my pointer finger up at the same time occassionally works. trial and error if it works use it if try again with something different and you will eventually find something,  Remember you are a good mum, but it is a learning process for you and your son, goodluck

It's great to hear you want your kid to understand a no is a no. Children must be taught from the beginning the importance of a no. You can make them understand as to "why"' you are saying a no. Minor punish should not harm. And do appreciate thorougly for good behaviour. Children like to be respected and heard. And we can make them see that we like the same too. Try giving examples of kids who are not as good off than them by visiting orphans , etc.

If he's 18m - 2yo he probably does have an idea what it means & is trying it out. Its an age-thing. They all do it. Its a way of finding out how much power they have in the world. Just don't buy into it... Don't take it too seriously & it will pass. Re-phrase some of the things you say to him so he can't say 'no'. (ie; instead of saying "would you like to get dressed now?" say "Now its time to get you dressed"). And some of the time (when its not going to be a problem to you), take him at his word, so he learns what the word is really for (ie "Would you like some banana?" "no" "Okay; I'll have it instead.")

While its admirable to want to be the perfect parent, it isn't really possible. And the kids don't come out perfect either. Remain calm, patient & consistent; and all will be well.

As for people who want to blame you for any little phase your child goes thru... well; they're not fit to have real children in their lives. let them go home & play with their perfect little plastic dolls & stop bothering you. Being a mum is hard enuff without armchair critics giving us a hard time!