Time Out

Time Out

    It is almost tradition in our home that if you are misbehaving, you will end up in time-out or lectured for short period of time, which is defined in the first stages of education as cause and effect. Jo Jo doesn't respond by going to time out but rather by being told what he did wrong. David learns better by going to time-out, which for reasons stated at the beginning has created a tradition. Yesterday reminded me how well David is learning when he has done something wrong and also his grasp on good/bad behavior.  

Last night he was watching, "Alice in Wonderland", (Disney) while eating a pudding, which looked so comfortable that I almost laid next to him to share in the fun. Since it was his bed time I turned off the TV and picked up his pudding to give him a signal. This did not go over well as some parents who have performed this experiment before would know. He quickly arose to his feet and started to cry. I thought he was crying for the pudding, so I returned it to him to finish eating; but boy was I wrong. He gladly took the pudding back and then told me, "No, No Dada. Timeout for Dada!" He then left and closed the door which I quickly realized he was teaching me a lesson for misbehaving. In his mind I was misbehaving by stealing his pudding and turning off a movie that he was intrigued in; in his eyes I needed to go in time-out to learn my lesson. 

I sat in the room for probably about 20 seconds tops and then I opened the door and said, "I'm sorry David, Dada's sorry." This is what David says after he has learned his lesson or after calming down after going to timeout. I thought it was only fitting to tell him the same. Now that I look back on it I could have approached him in a kinder and more loving way, which I think I lacked at the time.

It is truly amazing how fast our children learn and how they apply what they learn. We will most likely be teaching David that Mama and Dada do not go to time-out, but maybe not. After all parents are not perfect all the time and a few minutes in time-out would help learn and gain perspective, just as children do.