My daughter related the following vignette, with the wry comment that Covid has blunted some of her social skills in casual conversation. Recounted with her permission,.

Dramatis Personae:
Emma, 34
Exasperated mom of a two-year-old

Mom: It’s so frustrating. All day long all she says is, “No! No! No!”

Emma: It’s never too early for a girl to learn to say no.

Illustration courtesy of Debra Darvick