Need to say “no thanks”?

Have you ever been offered tea or coffee and needed to say “no”?

Twelve-year-old Kate had this experience at school. Her class was learning about a historical event involving tea. So their teacher threw a tea party.

“My stomach dropped,” Kate said. “When they put a cup on my desk, I froze. Everyone started drinking their tea while I sat and thought.”

What would you do? The Word of Wisdom tells us to avoid drinking alcohol, coffee, and black or green teas. (Other herbal teas are OK.)

Kate was brave and got rid of the tea!

“I knew I would’ve been disappointed in myself if I drank it,” she said. “I know Heavenly Father is proud of me too.”

Here are a handful of polite ways to turn down a drink:

• “Can I please have some water instead?”
• “I don’t drink coffee. But if you have some hot chocolate, I’d love some of that!”
• “Sure, I’d love to come to your tea party! Is it OK if I bring some herbal tea that I like to drink?”
• “No thanks. I don’t drink.”

What other ideas can you come up with for saying “no” with kindness?

Note: For more about the Word of Wisdom, check out this Gospel Topics essay.