Knowing When to Say No

I attended a great networking event this week and came away with a prospective new client. After he sent me is mandate, I was a bit overwhelmed. While I could have easily accomplished the task at hand while sitting at an office desk, this time around it seemed daunting.

So while the money and experience would have been nice, I said no. Not wanting to get in too deep, I knew I would be breaking off too much.

I have yet to hear back from the client but my decision to say no got me thinking that I've been saying that word a whole lot lately.

Unfortunately, it is usually met with a grin and a laugh. Yes, my daughter who loves playing with the electrical outlet covers and the dog's water dish thinks that when I say no its a game. We can also add biting on to the list. So what's a mom to do?

My face is totally serious. My voice is strong. But she just smiles at me and keeps right on doing as she pleases. I've tried to mix it up with uh uhs and finger waving but nothing seems to work.

I try not to say no too often so she isn't sensitized to the word but there are some things (like the possibility of electrocution) that I just can't let go.

So how do you discipline a 12 month old who thinks she can do it all?