In case you missed it, Jane Roper's Baby Squared post on time out last week provided some serious food for thought (between the giggles - trust me, you've got to read it). Somehow Jane's kids actually LIKE spending time in time out. So much for punishment.
Then again, who ever said time outs are always for punishment?
Even at three, I know my daughter can't yet fully grasp right from wrong. The parents who discuss "understanding the ramifications of your actions, young lady" with a toddler in the grocery store make me giggle. Hey, I'd like to say my daughter's a genius, but she's three! When she's tired, she tantrums. When she's spent a night at Grandma's having the stuffing spoiled out of her, she's prone to be a little brattier at home.
So she'll get sent to time out. Try as I might, my kid will NEVER sit on a chair quietly like Jane's do. We even tried standing in the "naughty corner." She slithered to the floor and shuffled her butt slowly across the floor to whatever room I'd hidden myself in . . . every time. So time out is spent in her room. With the gate closed at the top of the stairs so she physically cannot follow me.
Because, frankly, time out is for me too. Time out is my few minutes to remind myself how much I love and adore my daughter even when she's just drawn on my bathroom cabinet with a green crayon. It's my time to unclench my fist and think lovely, calming thoughts of sandy beaches and childless, er, family vacations.
When you find the cat covered in an entire box worth of Care Bear Band-Aids, you just deserve a time out, right?
Image: Jane Roper's Baby Squared - right here on Babble
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