Kindergarten teacher reveals the one word every parent should teach their kid before school — it makes so much sense

There are many things that a parent could teach their child before they start school to ensure a smooth transition. However, according to a kindergarten teacher, this one word is the best thing a parent could teach children before they attend school. The teacher, Emily Perkins, who goes by @emmymckenny on TikTok, shared why it is important for parents to say 'no' to their child and to teach them how to accept that as an answer. She pointed out that she can handle everything else if the child knows how to take 'no' for an answer.

Perkins shared that parents often ask her what they should teach their child to get them ready for kindergarten. "What can I do — help them open their snacks? Help them tie their shoes? No, no, no, not that. Tell your kid, 'No'...Tell them 'No' as a complete sentence," the teacher remarked. "Do not teach them that telling them, 'No' invites them to argue with you, because if I can't tell your child 'No' as an adult and they don’t respect the 'No,' they’re basically unteachable." She shared that she would tie their shoes, open their snacks, help them blow their nose and teach them how to wash their hands properly.

Perkins went on, "The term gentle parenting gets thrown around like an award — 'Congratulations, you’re a pushover.'" The teacher expressed that parents could validate their child's feelings without being a "pushover." One of the parents told her why they couldn't say no to their kid. "I heard a parent tell me that they don’t tell their child, 'No' because it triggers them." The woman continued, "If you don't wanna ever use the word 'no' in your vocabulary, teach your own kids." She explained that if a child's parents can't say no to them, she can't say no to them either as their teacher. "And if your child’s teacher can’t tell them, 'No,' it’s really hard to help them learn."

The teacher told TODAY.com that children should be able to take a 'no' for an answer without being given the reason behind it each and every time. "I love to explain why, but if I can't right then, kids still have to hear and accept 'no,'" she pointed out. Dr. Deborah Gilboa, family doctor and resilience expert, told the outlet that learning to hear the word no is an essential life skill for children. "If children have no practice at having limits set and held to expectations for good behavior and having consequences for breaking rules, they’re going to struggle at school," Dr. Gilboa revealed. People shared their thoughts about the teacher's advice in the comments section of the video.

@rye.bread1 wrote, "True, gentle parenting is about telling your child no and sticking to it. If you can never tell your child no, it’s permissive." @alicia_chandler joked, "'You don’t have to like it, but that’s the rule.' 'You can be mad, you can’t be mean.' 'Mommy/Daddy said no and it's no.' My child prob thinks his name is 'No.'" @notmelissamyers commented, "Explaining every little thing to them is ruining kids. It makes them entitled and mentally rigid." @katiekoelsch remarked, "This is why I come home exhausted each day. Having 18 6-year-olds argue with me all day and then choose to ignore me and do whatever they want anyway is so tiring."

You can follow Emily Perkins (@emmymckenny) on TikTok for more parenting content.