The Many Colors of NO

We decided early on to be circumspect about what we would say "no" to. Only if it would hurt him or hurt the thing (potentially). So mostly, No is reserved for the computers, cords, the stove, and non-social behaviors. Everything else, we worked hard to say, "Let's do something else instead," or "Could you please turn the TV back on?" But there's one little problem: No gets results. He knows that we will put him in time out for disobeying No.

Now it's time for Hy to turn the tables. Thus far, he's only ever tried out a new word once or twice, and then dropped it. He says the names of a few loved ones, and that's it. This week, though, he has taken to saying No.

He points out the computer and says "No no no." We affirm, "No no no." Then he touches it anyway and gets put in time out.

He points at the oven and says "No no no." We affirm, "No no no."

He says No at meal times when it's taking Mommy too long to make the food. He doesn't say No to refuse food, he still just shakes his head. But he lets us know we're doing something wrong.

He says No when Daddy leaves. He kept on saying No today when I left to help someone move. That was sweet.

He says No to his diaper change, though not consistently.

He says No to the air conditioner, which he is only allowed to turn on and off once a day. (It started making strange noises when we let him turn it on and off at will in a baby's OCD way.)

He says No when we take a toy away. "I was still playing with that."

He pointed at my yogurt today and said No. We're puzzling whether that meant that he knew he wasn't going to get much of it (I shared anyway) or whether it was because he didn't want me to eat it (it's his favorite). This video is of me sharing the yogurt with him just a few days ago.


He doesn't say No to going to bed, but he does say No when we leave him in bed. He also says No when I offer him the noise maker and he's happy with the noise it's making.

Sometimes he says No because he heard us say No to each other, but we use it differently with each other.

Overall, this makes us think that No is about the absence of something. He doesn't want something to go away: me, the food, the toy.... the dirty diaper? It's very adorable. For now.

He doesn't say Yes yet. He says "oh" meaning yes. I will ask him, "Can you say, Yes, Hyrum?" And he nods his head and says, "Oh." And he's very clear about the difference between Oh and No.