As my nearly four year old banged on the laundry door, where I had put him for misbehaving in time-out, I tried really hard to regroup.
His persistent “no’s” were grating on me.
No to his lunch – a gourmet decision between toast and beans or an omlette.
No to picking up his two toys that he’d left in the lounge room.
No to saying sorry.
No to helping.
No to making any kind of sense.
“Mummy, I’m not happy.” He crosses his arm, puts his mouth in a pout and stares me down.
“Neither am I Julian.” Descriptive praise day 3, not going so well.
“I’m not going to play with ANYTHING at my birthday party (two months away).”
“Ok then Julian, you won’t be given a party.”
“Mummy?”
“Yes Julian?”
“I’ll play if I have to.”
“Sure.”
“Can you pick up your toys now that you are being more cooperative?”
“NO.”
Ok then.
I went about my business.
“I’m going to slam this book into the wall Mummy.”
“I like it when you don’t do things like that Julian, you are much more cooperative and happy then.”
Slam. The book goes into the wall.
“Time Out!”
He slams it into the time-out wall.
“Laundry!”
He goes into the laundry and slams his book.
There was A LOT of yelling.
And then….I took two hostages….
I am now the proud owner of two former, very loved, friends of Julian’s who he won’t be seeing for a long time.
Fair call Mummy. I yelled at the 2yo today for similar behaviour. I am usually the picture of calm (even if inside I am seething) and have no issue putting him into his two minute time-outs. But today, I was depleted and he pushed all the buttons. Well done on managing it as well as you did. It is so hard some days x
the trials and tribulations….