Turning the tables on timeout

When MVP hit twelve months or so, Coach and I started introducing the land of timeout. A little corner next to our console table in the living room turns into the corner of crying whenever MVP decides to show her sassy side. Yes, she’s cute and sweet and adorable (most of the time) but she has taken many a trips to this land. Food spit out of mouth, swatting at parent, repeated defiance have all been her ticket to the corner on countless occasions. I’ve found that timeout is effected about 50% of the time. She is usually pretty good about going to timeout once told she has to. But only about half the time does she really realize why she is there. These times usually result in a very sad, sobbing and sorry MVP. A MVP longing to be obedient of her mom and dad so that she never disappoints or has to sit in timeout again. Below is evidence of one of those times.


The other 50% of the time, timeout might as well be a little mini party. She actually seems to enjoy it. Have I mentioned before that she’s a bit sassy?

When we started instilling timeouts, we would keep her in it until we counted to ten. Well, one of MVP’s favorite things to do now is count so instead of a time of punishment, timeout became playtime with the counting. Not good. Needless to say, we’ve stopped counting and now there are times she stays much longer than 10 seconds.

Apparently MVP has made few too many visits to the naughty corner. She has the routine down. So well, in fact, that last night she even but her baby doll in timeout and proceeded to start the count down with her. “Uuuuuuuun, tuuuuuuuu.” Unfortunately for the baby, MVP can never get past two and kept starting back over at “Uuuuuun.”

I so wish I could have known what she was saying to that little baby doll. She had her finger out and was pointing at her and was sure telling her something. Whatever that baby doll did, it must have been really bad because she stayed in timeout until the next morning.
Either that, or MVP and her toddler brain moved on to play with the blocks before she remembered to release her captive from the corner.