I know you are supposed to be in trouble, but...

Jenna is getting to that age where we need to start implementing a discipline method other than redirection.  Redirection is still the best for her age, but she is getting to a place where she can connect the dots between her behavior and consequences.  A great example of this is her use of the phrase "No-no" when she starts doing something she knows she is not supposed to do.  For example, she has been playing in the dog's water dish over the past week.  As she goes to put her hands in it, she will say "no-no".  And given her effective and appropriate use of the no-no phrase during the day - i.e., no-no night-night - we know she knows what it means. 

Which brings me to the event that prompted the title of this post.  Two days ago, Jenna was again getting into the water dish, after being redirected and told no, so I decided that was the day we'll start working on a time out technique.  I know they count down at daycare, so I determined this would be my technique.  Count to 3 and then put in time out.  So...I commenced to counting down...1...2...and then Jenna looked up, with the most excited and joyful look and said....THREE!!!

Ugh...really?  Why does she have to be so darned cute!?!  In that moment, holding my resolve was next to impossible, as she was the cutest, smartest, sweetest thing I had ever seen.  And I was so proud of the fact that she counted!  What to do?  The counting itself was a redirection that was working, so I opted to positively reinforce the counting and told her what a good job she did..."Yes, three!  What a good job you did counting!  Let Mommy give you a hug!" 

Of course, two minutes later we were back in the water dish, and I had a chance to count to three and put her in timeout while I counted 20 to myself.  I don't know if she knew what it meant, but she left the bowl alone after that, and I still get all warm and fuzzy with pride and adoration when I see her in my minds eye with that look on her face, saying "THREE!" ;)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Word That Can Change Everything

" Yes matters to me on a deep level - saying a broad and brave yes to this beautiful world, to love and challenge, and hard laughing and dancing and trying and failing. Yes is totally my jam. But you can't have yes without no . Another way to say it: if you're not careful with your yeses , you start to say no to some very important things without even realizing it. In my rampant yes-yes-yes-ing , I said no , without intending to, to rest, to peace, to groundedness, to listening, to deep and slow connection, built over years instead of moments.  All my yeses brought me to a shallow way of living - an exhausting, frantic lifestyle that actually ended up having little resemblance to that deep, brave yes I was searching for. And so if you, like me, have said too many yeses , and found that all that hopeful, exciting, wide-open intention has actually left you scraped raw and empty, the word that can change everything is no ." -Shauna Niequist, Present Over ...
Read more

Hello to all!

Image
Hello to all of you, our friends and family! We are very excited about this new journey in our lives, and have created this blog as a way to share our ongoing news about Baby Cole with each of you! As you may already know, JP and I are expecting our first child, due on February 24, 2011. This was a surprise, but is very much a blessing! As of now, I am midway through my 12th week of pregnancy, and we were happy to get started in the second trimester. Since we are in the second trimester, I will take a moment to catch everyone up on what we've missed so far... Our first appointment was for the 8 week check up (which was an excruciating wait, given that we had found out we were pregnant over 4 weeks before!).  That was on 7/20, and we were able to hear the heartbeat (at a healthy 169 bpm) and see the heartbeat "flicker" - which was an amazing and awe-inspiring experience for us.  Here is the first ultrasound: I know, I know! A little peanut, a blob, a parasite (l...
Read more

On becoming...

We are, in each moment, as we are meant to be. Happiness. Joy. Trials. Tribulation. They are the experiences of life that forge who we are, shape our gifts. We are the ones who choose whether they chip away the best or the worst of us. In January 2016 I attended a Daring Way weekend with a group of amazing ladies. We reflected on the parts of us that need to be buried, put to rest. We reflected on those things that need to be brought up, refined in the light. We considered the duality of these, how they are necessary opposites for our growth and development, and how, in the end, they cannot exist in the same time and space.  As we wrapped up the weekend, we meditated on these to this song:  I am Light - India Arie I felt lighter walking out of that space. A new beginning, a shedding of a skin that no longer served me. That is how this walk works, the peeling away of that which hinders our growth, that blocks us from becoming that which serves the greater good. ...
Read more