When To Use a Time-Out

Last weekend when my daughter was still pretending like she may want to be potty-trained, (she gave up the thought when she realized she would not get a present each and every time she used the potty) she was sitting on the toilet when her big brother came into the room “to keep her company”.   At first she was fine with it, but then I could hear her yelling at him when I left the room.  I came back to find out what was wrong.  “Jacob needs a time out!” she says.  ‘Oh really, why is that?” I inquired… “Because he’s bothering me.” What he was in fact doing was sitting in the bathtub.  Just because.  He was fully clothed, and there was no water involved, but he just thought it was fun to sit there.  And that bothered his sister.  Technically, I don’t think he was doing anything wrong, but I did try to explain to him that some people (aka ME) would prefer to have privacy when going potty so could he please leave.   I also explained to Savvy that I could not give Jacob a time out just because he was bothering her by sitting in the bathtub.   After the talking, Jacob never left, but at least Savvy stopped yelling at him.

I was surprised by her request to give him a time-out because we don’t use that punishment too much in our house.   Not that we disagree with it, but overall they are pretty good kids, and they have to be behaving pretty badly to warrant a time out.  I chuckled at the thought of Savvy believing that Jacob deserved a time-out just because he was bothering her.  I mean, if I truly gave the kids a timeout each time they bothered me, well then, they might be in their rooms quite a lot!

“Stop shouting, I can hear you just fine. I am right HERE”  You get a time-out!

“Don’t make me ask you to set the table for a third time!” You get a time out!

“Time to wash your hands… Please go wash your hands now…GO wash your HANDS!” TIME OUT (AND GO WASH YOUR HANDS!)

“Please stop asking me what a ‘raffle’ is.  I have explained it five times before, but you won’t listen to the answer.” You get a time-out.

“If I ask you to do something for me, like get a diaper, stop asking me “why?” first. Just do it!” You get a time-out to think about why that is.

“Stop repeating yourself over and over.  I heard you the first time.” You get a time out. You get a time out. You get a time out. You get a time out. You get a time out. You get a time out.

“Stop following me into the bathroom. Please shut the door on your way out. Shut the  door.  SHUT THE DOOR.” Time out.

You know, just saying “Time Out!!” in my head when I’m annoyed is making me feel better already!