“Don’t Touch That!”. Why Toddlers’ Brains Don’t Respond to Negation
You’ve probably been there:
You say “Don’t spill!” and the cup tips over.
You warn Don’t run!” and your toddler takes off even faster.
You say “Don’t touch!” and little hands reach straight for the object.
This can look like your toddler is being defiant. In reality, their brains simply don’t yet process the word. “don’t” in the way adults expect. What parents see as disobedience is, more often than not, just a normal stage of development.
