Never Say Never: You Can Say Never

You grew up listening to your parents and teachers tell you never to say never (although, didn’t they just say never?) and that’s become something you haven’t forgotten. However, sometimes it’s okay to say never. I mean, you’ll never put your kids up for adoption (even if you threaten them with it when they’re in the middle of a tantrum in the market), right? Never isn’t the terrible word that so many people make it out to be; it’s a word that can be used sparingly, just like a bevy of others. Here are three times saying never is perfectly acceptable.

To Your Kids

You should tell your kids never. You should tell them you’ll never stop loving them, no matter how many times they tell you you’re the worst mom in the world (all because you won’t allow them to go to an unsupervised keg party at the tender age of 12). Tell them you’ll never stop protecting them, never stop liking them, and never stop being there for them. Never is a good word right here.

For Safety

Never is a perfectly acceptable word when the situation calls for it. Say your little one is playing in the yard and decides to chase his ball into the street. Your job is to look at him and tell him he is never, ever allowed to go into the street unless he is with you. Never. Never Ever. This is a prime example of a good time to use the word never.

For Goals

It’s okay to use the word never when discussing your goals – as long as you use it wisely. It’s not okay to say you’ll never accomplish your dreams. It is okay to say you’ll never stop chasing your dreams or that you’ll never let yourself give up, no matter how tempting it is.