ash chuckled through transcribing this letter. Her hobby is refashioning context from the adversary’s own words.
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I’m sure Jeff Mullen is a well-meaning, devoted parent. However, I urge him to reconsider his “’Can’t’ isn’t a word in this house” policy. While “can’t thread a strand of yarn” is one thing, how about “can’t jump on the furniture,” “can’t run across the street in front of cars,” “can’t jump off the roof”? Lest someone argue semantics, remember that children takes words very literally. “Can’t” you just imagine little Justin grabbing a toy from a playmate, the playmate protesting, “Hey, you can’t do that,” and Justin replying, “Yes, I can. My daddy told me I can do anything!”
Please, Mr. Mullen, before you issue a blanket pronouncement, think through the ramifications of the child’s interpretation. “Can’t,” which places necessary limitations on your child’s behavior, should (or maybe “should” shouldn’t be a word in your house, either” be part of your family’s vocabulary.
As for mom Kim Mullen, who hopes “this helps them obtain the development levels…I can’t do alone,” I only hope she’s not banished from the household.
