Instead of "Time Out", when your child misbehaves, try this. Sit down with your child at the table and give them 2 pieces of paper and 3 or 4 crayons (not too many colors, limit the choices, this is focus time). Have them draw, as best they can, 1 picture of what they did wrong & 1 picture of what they should have done. Have them explain what the pictures mean. Write down the words for them as they explain to you what they did wrong and what they will do next time. Have them write their name and date on both pictures. Put these treasures into a 3 ring binder, adding to it whenever needed, and save it for many years. Show it to their spouse before they get married. You'll enjoy that part very much!

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), April 27, 2002

Answers

What a great idea! Often when children misbehave, its becuse they havn't really thought about what they are doing-they are not deliberatly being "bad" They are just not thinking or are acting on impulse. (Of course sometimes its sheer defiance and deliberate naugtiness....) Sometime I work as a subsitute teacher and often with the younger kids-this is a great idea to use if the room gets a little restless or noisy...

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), April 27, 2002.

Karen -- and what to do when they chuck the crayons at the brother that was the cause of the uproar in the first place as he was teasing and the younger brother (who has DEFINITE anger control issues) looses his rag completely, at which point you have to drag the younger, who is now using the crayons as assorted missiles and gouging implements off the elder who is still laughing uproarously as you slip on the wet, just-scrubbed kitchen floor, upsetting the bucket of dirty wash water and upending the pile of paper to float down, become sodden and sticky in the water, as the children do their best to flail the skin off each other????

I think I'll go have a "restful moment" in my garden....

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), April 27, 2002.

Well, Tracy..I would toss out the art theory...forget the "time-out" theory..... and go with the spanking of the butts theory..LOL!

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), April 28, 2002.

My theory EXACTLY!!!

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), April 28, 2002.