We insisted that he give the proper response. He soon learned that all activity stopped until he answered properly. He was free to express a complaint and knew that he could talk with us, but when we gave him a direct order, we expected him to obey. We knew that obedience was important for his safety. If Christopher were about to run into the street in front of a car and we told him to stop, he must obey.
Obedience is a subject that requires careful thought.
Children need to obey immediately in situations where their physical safety is in danger. Yet they need to practice making individual decisions and experience the consequences for themselves. They need to be taught that obedience to others should be tempered by good judgment. If they are in a group of their peers, for example, they shouldn't necessarily follow everything the leader says. If requests are questionable morally, legally, or make your child feel uncomfortable, they should follow their conscience and say no.