Outwitted by a Toddler. Again.
So, as soon as Little Guy entered toddlerhood, I started reading every book I could on discipline. Cuz I'm not letting a toddler run my household, right? I'm the parent, right?
Right.
So, I decided that after reading a few books I would attempt the whole time out thing based on the book, 1-2-3 Magic. By some magical miracle, this book claims that time-outs will work if you do it the way they say you should. Yes, the key is that you have to be CONSISTENT and always do it the same way and do it without any emotion or talking. Well, we were doing OK for a while and then we got lazy and then...well...this is what happened last night.
Me: Little Guy stop throwing food across the table!
Little Guy: (throws more food)
Me: I said stop it!
Little Guy: I want a time out!
Me: What??
Little Guy: I WANT a time out.
Me: No, you can't have a time out. I say when you get a time out.
Little Guy: But I want one.
Me: No!
Little Guy: I want to be in trouble.
Me: You are not in trouble. Only I say when you're in trouble.
Little Guy: (throwing food)
Me, completely vexed. If I give him a time out now, he wins and I don't give him a time out he wins.
Me: OK, get down. Let's watch Bob the Builder on TV.
Little Guy: YAY!!
I'm totally flunking parenthood.
Right.
So, I decided that after reading a few books I would attempt the whole time out thing based on the book, 1-2-3 Magic. By some magical miracle, this book claims that time-outs will work if you do it the way they say you should. Yes, the key is that you have to be CONSISTENT and always do it the same way and do it without any emotion or talking. Well, we were doing OK for a while and then we got lazy and then...well...this is what happened last night.
Me: Little Guy stop throwing food across the table!
Little Guy: (throws more food)
Me: I said stop it!
Little Guy: I want a time out!
Me: What??
Little Guy: I WANT a time out.
Me: No, you can't have a time out. I say when you get a time out.
Little Guy: But I want one.
Me: No!
Little Guy: I want to be in trouble.
Me: You are not in trouble. Only I say when you're in trouble.
Little Guy: (throwing food)
Me, completely vexed. If I give him a time out now, he wins and I don't give him a time out he wins.
Me: OK, get down. Let's watch Bob the Builder on TV.
Little Guy: YAY!!
I'm totally flunking parenthood.
posted by Cristina @5:27 PM
21 Comments:
This is why I think parenting books don't work.
Sell it on Amazon to some other parent and use the money you get to buy yourself a massage. lol
I completely understand, my 7 y/o tried to outwit me today. He told me he could do what he wanted because he was the Red Power Ranger, he was wearing his Power Ranger Shirt. I told him no, he could not, keep it up and I will throw the shirt away, so to show me up, he took it off and said here, here take it take it and throw it away I DON'T CARE MEAN MOMMY. Now I really didn't want to throw it away, I was trying to bluff him, get him to listen so he called my bluff and I threw it away, right in front of him. He lost it and started crying. When he was not looking I took it out but damn it I am not going to be called out by a SEVEN YEAR OLD.
All I can say is good luck, the books don't work.
Jen
I'm dreading this stage. So far I haven't had to do much disciplining. But you can't win all the time, right? These kids are pretty smart. Z always figures me out. Even when I'm just trying to hide the cookies.
i bought that book and it was a waste. sass does the same thing after i tell her she is getting a time out she says she wants a time otu. nothing works !! the only thing that worked so far is a sticker chart.
uh, yeah. you can't win with toddlers. i never thought that when i told my toddler to use her words, that she would use them AGAINST me.
Ah, the discipline books. I find they work about as well as the dieting books. Time-outs only worked for so long with my daughter too, until they became fun.
I just had to figure out her weakness - and it's being ignored. She's a super-ham and can't stand it. Works like a charm every time.
-andi
This is the insanity of toddlerhood! I remember it all too well. Actually, I think I'm still in it. My son is three, not quite in preschool yet and he loves to deliberately defy me. It's unnerving!
I hear you. After my 16-month old threw her half-full cereal bowl on the floor this morning, I attempted to sternly explain to her why this was unacceptable, she needed to use her words, food doesn't belong on the floor, blah, blah, blah. She looked me dead in the eye, cocked her friggin cute little head and meowed. Arggg....
Think of who's actually setting the standards. Back in the stone age, there were no self-help books on parenting except....Dr. Spock. I read his book when I was 19, what a moron. Our parents raised the best they could period. No tv advice shows, chat rooms, MomsOnline, NADA.
The only reason we feel we are failures as parents(and pretty much everything else to be honest)is because someone wrote a book??? Or is booked on a talk show? Or mentioned on the internet? Oh, the Eye-Roni!!
Look at Dr. Phil who was the magic guru until he ran out of rational topics and rational people.
I have heard about this happening to others.
Haha Sucker.
I totally know where you're coming from!
You make me laugh!
Oh, I am so screwed.
That's funny stuff! I have no advice, only encouragement. It will get better - when he turns 18 and leaves home.
ya got a smart one there mom :)
Every single kid I know that is two goes through this with Time outs. Trust me, my 3.5 yr old is sooo over wanting the time outs. Stick with it!! He'll Little Guy will get over it too!
He's still at the stage where bribery works better than attempts at real discipline. I always went with the "If you stop throwing that food, you can have dessert!"
I'm with the sage sunshine. Sell the book! Buy a massage!
You've got one smart cookie there! heehee.
I find KayTar NEEDS quiet time. Lots of kids do...maybe this was LG's way of letting you know he needed some down time.
Or maybe he's a genius at the reverse psychology. ;)
LOL. They are smart little buggers, aren't they? We tried 1-2-3 magic with my boys. It worked really well with my oldest but only when we were consistent. With the younger one, well let's just say he would get along with your son! I give up!
A little Bob the Builder always works wonders in cases like these!
You AREN'T flunking!
My daughter Keira is the same way; well, she was a few months ago. Now she likes boss everyone around; but I used to say, "Keira, if you don't stop, you are going to get spanked."
"Okay!"
She'd do it again then turn her cute little butt around so I could spank it.
"NO! Spankings are bad!"
"Okay!" she'd smile as she shoved the butt in my way...
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