Kids often have a different definition for the words used by adults. Sometimes they’re much more accurate. From their perspective, at least.
For kids, tomorrow can often seem as far away as forever. And if parents use it often enough, it can actually turn into forever.
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Instructional Diagrams
Less words. More pictures.
Justin Knight says: Tomorrow=NEVER! My 6 year old is finally able to accept that “tomorrow” really means “tomorrow”, most of the time!
Kids also realize that phrases like words and phrases like “maybe” or “we’ll see” gives them a 50/50 shot of turning it into a yes. Adding relentless pleading coupled with over the top cuteness tilts the balance even more in their favor. Cunning little buggers.
Manon says: I’ve stopped saying maybe tomorrow and now use the fabulous, yet sometimes big backfire-er, “I’ll think about it” version. The backfiring part is that my 4 year old sometimes asks me if I have already thought about it and what is my answer…
Manon says: uhm I just realised I left out half a sentence and my comment doesn’t make sence…
She asks me right after I tell her I’ll think about it, if I have already and what the answer is…lol!
Susie says: It must be a sign of my own sleep deprivation, but your post un-edited made sense to me… It could also be my own toddler’s behavior that clarified things.
Lindsey says: I used to use “tomorrow” instead of “no” so that I would be less likely to break my children’s hearts. But, when I actually wanted to use tomorrow in its correct context, I shot myself in the foot. Now, no is no and tomorrow is explained by using the calendar. This also requires using stickers to mark something special on that day if need be! We love stickers!! 🙂
JMD says: Many years ago my father would tell my youngest sister that things she found hard were really easy. He adjusted his methods when she broke down when day, crying “I can’t do it. It’s too easy.”
JMD says: My daughter used to use “last week” to refer to anything in the past. She started many sentences with “Last week in the morning”, referring to anything that happened in the past during the day (usually something that happened the previous day).
lw says: The little girl I used to look after once told me “no, I’ll go potty tomorrow. Tomorrow.”
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