No, no and no

This must be a refrain that my kids hear from me because they are starting to use it back to me. It got me thinking how often I must say "no" to them...
"No, you can't go outside right now."
"No, you can't have a snack now."
"No, don't hit your brother."

Well, you get the point.

Now, some things require a no. Like when Colin is wanting to draw on the television (like right now!), or when Sean is scratching at Colin or Brian's face, or when Brian pulls out a big knife. Safety aside, I want to be a mom that is more of a "yes" mom. Not that I want to be a doormat or let my children run the roost. There are certain boundaries and rules that are in place to try and keep our house and family running well, but for the other things, my goal is to say "yes" when my previous instinct was to say "no".

"Yes, we can go outside and play"
"Yes, I will play trains with you now"
"Yes, I will read this book to you again"
"Yes, you can have a snack now - would you like an apple or a banana?"

Are you a "yes" mom or a "no" mom?