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When the Answer Is No

The day Maya heard no

Play this lessonNarrated out loud. No account, works offline.

Also available in Spanish. The app stops after two lessons a day and suggests something to do away from the screen.

What it teaches

These are the lines the lesson comes back to, and the ones a child actually remembers afterwards.

The feeling is real. What you do next is a choice.

Handling no well is how you get more yeses.

How it starts

Story time. This is about a girl called Maya, and a no, and what she did about it on the second day, which is the part worth listening to.

How the lesson goes

What no feels like

  1. Hot in your chest
  2. Instantly, it's the only thing you want
  3. Everything else feels ruined

The ten seconds after no

  1. Breathe out, slowly, once
  2. Say okay — even if you don't mean it yet
  3. Then ask your one question

When it IS a no forever

  1. You're allowed to be disappointed
  2. Say what you're feeling, not what they did wrong
  3. Ask what you could do instead

The question at the end

You get a no. What's the best first move?

For the grown-up

Every lesson ends by handing the child something to do off the screen, and telling you what was taught so you can use the same words.

Try this today: Ask a grown-up about one thing you were told no about — calmly — using the question: is it a no for today, or a no forever?

Then: Whatever they say, say thank you for answering.

More in Story Time

The whole library is free

Twenty-four narrated lessons for ages 4 to 9, in English and Spanish. No account, no sign-up, no ads, and nothing your child does in the app ever leaves the device — you can check that yourself with the network tab open. Open the lessons.