Time Out

Last night was our first try at "Time Out" with Emmy. She has been pulling the bulbs off of our Christmas tree. We only decorated about 3/4 of our tree. The bottom 1/4 is empty because we knew Emmy would get into them. I'm sure it looks goofy to people when they walk in and see a half decorated tree.

She is a little climber and gets on the couch and reaches for the higher bulbs. She has already broken three bulbs. We tell her no, but she doesn't listen. So, last night we put her in the corner and sat her on a little stool. She didn't take Brad seriously at all. She actually laughed at him...A LOT. I couldn't keep a straight face and had tears rolling down my face from laughing so hard. I know, I shouldn't laugh, but it was so hard not to while hearing her giggle at him. Brad couldn't keep a straight face either.

Emmy kept getting up from her stool. Each time she got up Brad said no to her and then brought her back to the corner. She wouldn't listen to him so I stepped in and became the enforcer. She stayed in the corner on her stool and cried the entire minute. I explained to her why she was in the corner. Brad said, "How do you get her to listen to you?" I told him that he was too much of a softy with her and she knows it. It's not like I am mean, I just use a tone in which she knows mama means no.

When her minute was up (one minute per age), I told her that she was able to get up and she stood up and gave me the biggest hug ever. She cuddled with me the rest of the night.

Most say to only use time out at an age when they understand what's going on. Emmy definitely knows what's going on and understands most things. She has caught on really quickly to everything. She understand what no means, but sometimes pushes our buttons to see how far she can get.