So, the last couple of weeks I have been trying to teach Claire about consequences. She hasn't really said anything about it until today. Here's why, because she was in time out for 12 minuets today. Harsh? Yeah, probably, but it got her thinking.
She first was sent to timeout because she hit me. Time out in our house if for 3 minuets sitting on a 5 gallon bucket in the hall. I sat her down, told her why she was in time out (hitting me) and what the consequence was (sitting in time out for 3 minuets). She was not happy about it and started yelling "no" at the top of her lungs. I said, please don't yell; she kept on yelling. I said, every time you yell "no" I am going to add 1 more minute on to the timer. I thought she would only yell it a couple more times, but she yelled it 9 more times! (She actually yelled it tons more but I could only bear to count to 9!). So, she sat on that bucket for 12 whole minutes! I couldn't believe it. It was not the best 12 minutes of her life, there was lots of whining, moaning, hitting the wall, and more yelling, but by the end I think she started to understand a little bit more about consequences. Or so I thought.
Later we were sitting on the couch reading some books and she looked up at me and said, "ok mom, so here is the consequence, you go downstairs and take a shower and I will stay up here and play on your phone. ok?"
Shoot. I think I need to explain things a little better. Consequence and plan, not the same thing. Ugh.
She first was sent to timeout because she hit me. Time out in our house if for 3 minuets sitting on a 5 gallon bucket in the hall. I sat her down, told her why she was in time out (hitting me) and what the consequence was (sitting in time out for 3 minuets). She was not happy about it and started yelling "no" at the top of her lungs. I said, please don't yell; she kept on yelling. I said, every time you yell "no" I am going to add 1 more minute on to the timer. I thought she would only yell it a couple more times, but she yelled it 9 more times! (She actually yelled it tons more but I could only bear to count to 9!). So, she sat on that bucket for 12 whole minutes! I couldn't believe it. It was not the best 12 minutes of her life, there was lots of whining, moaning, hitting the wall, and more yelling, but by the end I think she started to understand a little bit more about consequences. Or so I thought.
Later we were sitting on the couch reading some books and she looked up at me and said, "ok mom, so here is the consequence, you go downstairs and take a shower and I will stay up here and play on your phone. ok?"
Shoot. I think I need to explain things a little better. Consequence and plan, not the same thing. Ugh.
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