Truth be told, Porter doesn’t spend a whole lot of time in Time Out.  Don’t get me wrong–he has his moments.  But really, at this stage of the game, he is in Time Out about twice a month.  And I have always wondered if Porter is listening to what we say to him when he is in the process of a Time Out.  He’s upset and sometimes crying–is he listening to me or just nodding in agreement so this whole thing will be over?

Time Out at our house usually works like this:

1.) I catch Porter doing something he isn’t supposed to be doing.

2.) I ask him to stop doing the offending action.  He doesn’t.

3.) I tell him one more time to stop or he is going to Time Out.  He continues with the naughtiness.

4.) I bring him to his Time Out place–which is the corner of our dining room.  He stands in the corner facing me while I explain to him what he did wrong.

5.) Then I explain to him why I don’t want him to do what he did.  For example, “Porter I don’t want you climbing on the stairs by yourself.  Those stairs are very steep and dangerous.  I don’t want you to fall and get hurt.  So if you want to go upstairs you have to ask me or Daddy to help you.  Do you understand?”

6.) Then, if appropriate, I ask him to say he is sorry.

7.) Finally, I give him a big hug and kiss and tell him that I love him.

*Please note that if the offence is severe enough he will go straight to Time Out without being asked to stop the offending action.  Do not pass GO.  Do not collect $200.

The whole thing lasts only a few minutes depending on how worked up P is.  I don’t really know if it is effective but that’s how I do it.  I never really know if he really understands what’s going on.

After dinner last night, Porter was playing with some toys  on the couch.  He had a Mater tow truck from Cars and some other little penguin toy from a movie no one in our house has seen.  Porter was making the toys “fight”–something I had never seen him do before.  I turned and said to him, “Mater, Penguin: no fighting.”  At which point, Porter told his toys, “No fighting, ” and put his toys in Time Out in the corner of the couch!  He then proceeded to tell these pieces of plastic, “Fighting is not nice.  Do you understand?”

I’m not sure if Mater and unidentified penguin guy understood, but I guess maybe Porter understand a little more than I thought!