A bright idea for gently yet firmly saying NO

On my way home from the TpT conference last Saturday, I overheard a random conversation between a JetBlue flight attendant and a passenger. It’s now the topic of a blog post here, so I suppose that’s a lesson to all of us that even our most off-handed words can have a tremendous impact and reach.

We were taxiing away from the gate when a passenger asked her if he could get something from a bag he stowed overhead. I expected to hear her say, “No, sorry, we’re taxiing, you can’t get up now.” That’s what I would have told him.

Instead she said this: “The seatbelt sign is on so I can’t say yes.”

It took a moment for me to register the brilliance of that phrase: ___ so I can’t say yes. Instantly, the listener knew she was empathetic, wanted to give him what he asked for, and had a legitimate reason for not being able to acquiesce. She said no clearly and succinctly without ever saying no.

Imagine all the possible in-school uses for ___ so I can’t say yes and I can’t say yes because ___:

• If you go get a drink right now, you’ll miss the instructions, so I can’t say yes.
• It’s fun to stand up on the swings, but I can’t say yes because it’s not safe for you.
• I wish I could make those photocopies for you, but I have a meeting after school, so I can’t say yes.
• I’d love to have an impromptu conference, but I can’t say yes because I have another parent scheduled.

If you are person who struggles with telling other people no and creating boundaries around your time, these phrases can be a real life changer! Try them out and let me know how it goes.

For more bright ideas from other bloggers, please browse through the link-up below and choose a topic that interests you. What makes this link-up unique is that none of these posts have products or printables of any kind, just practical classroom solutions. The grade levels for each are listed in the post titles. Enjoy!