THE eighth tip in the 31 days to becoming a better dad is to say "no".

I hate to tell you dads, but it's our job to put the foot down. No matter how easy life is, it's still "no" 50% of the time. Lights turn red. It rains unexpectedly. People you like, don't like you. That's life.

When we give our children everything without teaching them the flip side, we are setting them up for a rough reality later on. When we teach them that there are boundaries to everything, they learn to enjoy things in moderation instead of excess.

As the father of three little girls, I have a hard time saying "no" sometimes myself, but I have a line. I think too many "no's" is stifling, so I have a pretty flexible line.

Often, I'll use that leniency to teach them a lesson I otherwise may not have had a chance to. After all, guiding them through a mistake after the fact is a far more educational tactic than "see, I told you so" or getting mad.

DAD TALK

* How much freedom did you have as a child to "get away with things" or do the things you wanted?
* Are you more or less lenient with your children?
* Do you think they'll be happier for it?

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