Monday's Mommy Moment: The No Monster

Has my two year old learned anything at daycare?  Well, I guess this is kind of a loaded question.  I get a report card every day that lets me know how he did.  Here's an example from last week:

Daily Journal

Participated in the Following Activities:
(The activities below were checked off...)
*  Sensory
*  Story
*  Music

Outdoor Experiences:
(The activities below were checked off...)
*  Glider
*  Balls/hoops
*  Bikes
*  Slide

Played in these Areas of Interest:
(The activities below were checked off...)
*  Sand
*  Doll Care
*  Light Table
*  Dramatic Play
*  Science Tubes
*  Puppets

Then I get a report of how much he ate for his morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack, followed by a log of the time he fell asleep for his nap and the time he woke up.  Finally they let me know about his saturated pee pee diapers and poopy diapers (a.k.a. bowel movements).

It's a very thorough report, and his day usually sounds like it is much more active than when he is home with me.  I'm sure he's learning a lot and gaining tons of new experiences, but at the moment, the only thing that seems to have really changed in the past two months is his vocabulary.  Oh no, you see...he hasn't learned how to say a lot of new words.  He still enjoys his "baby talk."  No, he's only learned one particular word and that word is "NO!" 

Yes, since his second week at daycare, my little boy has turned into the "NO" monster.  Before if he didn't like something, he would shake his head, but now he's learned how to say a very loud, clear, articulate, vocal "NO!"  Yes, this word is the answer he gives me for most of my questions.

Me:   "Lewie, do you want to wake up?"
Son:  "NO!"

Me:   "Lewie, do you want something for breakfast?"
Son:  "NO!"

Me:  "Let's sing a song together."
Son:  "NO!"

Me:  "Do you want to go outside?"
Son:  "NO!"

Me:  "Do you want Mommy to read you a book?"
Son:  "NO, NO, NO!"

Okay, I could continue, and in fact, this goes on for most of my day, so I could write about our "no" conversation for the next ten hours, but I don't want to bore you. In most cases, "no means no," but sometimes his "no" is really a "maybe."  It's difficult to decipher the meaning of all the "no's" and at times, it's downright exhausting.

If I ask him a question, and he doesn't yell "no" then usually I've hit the jackpot.  I've learned that the absence of  "no" really means "yes," and so silence in this house is sometimes welcomed over the sea of "no's."

Yes, oh yes, my little boy loves to yell "NO!"  It will be interesting to see what other little treasure he learns from daycare or other children in the months to come...

"Do you want to finish picking apples Lil' Lewie?"   ...Pause..."NO!"