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Cordy went through a "No!" phase just before she turned two years old. I don't think she fully understood the meaning of the word, but she liked seeing what kind of response she could get by screaming "No!" She never got a strong response from me, however, and so the phase was thankfully short-lived.

Now that she's two and a half, it seems that "No!" is now back in fashion. This time it is accompanied by an emphatic "Nuh-uh!" with head shaking back and forth. Sometimes it's also followed by her legs turning to jelly as she flops down on the ground and yells "Ouch!" In true toddler logic, she thinks that if she looks like she hurt herself, the added dramatic value will help her cause.

No is her answer to nearly any question she's asked: "Cordy, do you want a sandwich for lunch?" "No! Nuh-uh." "Cordy, do you want to go play outside?" "No! Nuh-uh." "Cordy, do you want a cookie?" "Yeah, cookie! Let's go cookie!" (Hey, I didn't say it was the answer to every question. She never turns down the rare cookie.)

I often wonder how much longer she will keep this up. Some days, "No!" will be said well over a hundred times. While her newfound negativity can be frustrating, most of the time I'm simply amused by it. Yes, she now understands the meaning of the word, but she will often say no to something without fully considering what I've said to her. Refusing to go outside generally backfires when she later realizes she really does want to go out. "Sorry, you said no when I asked if you wanted to go out," I'll tell her. In situations like this, she generally gets a confused look on her face, trying to figure out where she went wrong in her game.

Oh, don't worry, I'll later give in - I just want her to think a little more before she snaps out her standard "No!"