My Dad Always said "No"

Growing up, I remember going a lot of different places with my dad. And like all kids, if I saw something I wanted (a toy, a piece of candy, a new bike) I would ask my dad if I could have whatever it was. And without fail, 99% of the time, my dad would reply, "no." Sometimes he even said "no" before I finished the question. In most cases his response was a reaction, not something that was thought through or considered. It used to make me so mad, because I often felt like my request wasn't even considered. So many times, I felt like saying, "would you please hear me out, or could you at least think about it?"

Now I am a dad of three, and my kids ask for something or to do something ALL the time. You know what I say 99% of the time? NO. Just like my dad, its the first thing that rolls of my tongue. Its a reaction, maybe even a learned behavior. Obviously, you can't say "yes" all of the time, but the request should always be considered. Kids and people pick up on it when we react without any thought. I think in most cases, we can handle being told "no" if we feel like our request has been given consideration. We may not like the answer, but we can accept it.