We teach kids that 'no' means 'no.' But not everyone feels this way. A Utah middle school principal is getting criticized for not letting kids say 'no' when asked to dance at a Valentine's day school dance. A mother of an 11-year-old girl wrote a Facebook post that stated even though her daughter politely declined to dance with another student, the school principal allegedly told her daughter that she had to dance with the student who asked.
Why would an adult make a child dance when they don't want to? With a focus of being nice, kind, and inclusive, saying 'no' is a rejection. And can hurt someone's feelings. If you force a kid to dance when they don't want to then you're sending the message that 'no' only means 'no' if someone else agrees with it. That's a dangerous message for kids and can have negative implications for when kids date.
Instead of making kids dance with someone that they don't, teachers can give opportunities for kids to do school projects or activities. This might help kids get to know their classmates better. Rejection is a part of life. Kids should be taught to handle rejection and how to tell someone 'no' gently. These are life long skills that all kids should have.
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