This is the conversation I had with my 4 year old last night. If you find yourself getting frustrated, it's okay, I understand.
Son: I'm ready to taaalk.
Me: Okay, come in here please.
Me: Why did you have a time out?
Son: For being mean.
Me: No. Why did you have a time out?
Son: Because I didn't listen.
Me: No. What did you do to the couch?
Son: I hit.
Me: You had a time out because you hit the couch?
Son: Yes.
Me: No. What did you do to the couch?
Son: I yelled.
Me: You had a time out because you yelled at the couch?
Son: Yes.
Me: No. You had a time out because you wrote on the couch. Now, why did you have a time out?
Son: Oh yeah, because I drew on the couch with a pencil.
Me: Yeah?
Son: Yeah.
Me: Yeah.
(glad we had this talk. you've clearly shown remorse and complete understanding of your actions. i feel confident that your future time outs will be just as useful in teaching you responsibility and allowing you to contemplate your behavior and its consequences. thank you for showing me just how effective this whole process has been. excuse me now, i've got some thinking of my own to do)
Hi! Just thought I'd say hello and thank you for sharing all the hilarious {and frustrating, and heartwarming, and enraging...} moments you have with your family. I truly enjoy reading you blog. Though I don't have any children of my own just yet, I can totally identify with some of the "What did I just say???" moments as I was an elementary school teacher for several years and have always worked with kids. Never a dull moment. Thanks again for the chuckles! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words, they mean a lot! And you've just reminded me of something my daughter's kindergarten teacher said a while back that I forgot to write down...you might have even said it too!
ReplyDeletelove this, stealing it to show why time-out just doesn't work :)
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