Time Out

I'm a believer in the "Time-Out" method of discipline.  Removing a child from the situation or environment that is causing the unacceptable behavior seems to me to be the most logical course of action.  Sometimes the time out is as much for me as for the child, and it gives me the needed time to deal rationally with a situation or bad behavior.

In our house, the time out spot is in the bathroom.  Other than drowning in the toilet, or clogging the plumbing, there's not much damage that can be caused in there, and it's a relatively small spot, with not much to play with.

Grant has entered his third year of life with gusto and has taken a liking to screaming and throwing fits when he doesn't get his way.  Perhaps a result of me not saying no often enough...

Now, when he begins to whine, scream, hit or engage in any other less-than-stellar behavior, all I have to do is pick him up and plop him down in the corner of the bathroom.  Sometimes, I can even ask him if he needs a time out in the bathroom, and he'll say yes and walk in there all by himself.  I give him the notice that as soon as he's done screaming, he can come out and be part of the family again.

He usually screams for a moment or two, then is silent for a few minutes before walking out with tears on his cheeks saying "Gant all done cying".  

Last week, after a few moments longer than usual of silence with no movement, I poked my head in the bathroom to peek at him.  He had his head covered up with his blanket and was singing.  I quietly shut the door to retrieve the camera.  When I came back, this is what I found:

He was so darn cute, I almost forgot what put him in there in the first place.