Bad boys, Bad boys, Watcha Gonna Do?

Nowadays you have little option as a parent when it comes to discipline. Hitting is definitely out: even a light tap on a diapered fanny will have DHS outside your door with sirens blaring (I don’t think they actually give them sirens but the image is dramatic).

Sending someone to their room is like sending them to Toys R Us, so not really effective. That leaves two similar but equally bland methods: The time-out, and the naughty/bad boy corner/spot.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am well… opinionated, stubborn, set in my ways (I hear those snickers, that was putting it mildly but the true description contains profanity – think female dog – and we are a family friendly blog!) and from the first time I heard about this ‘time out’ thing and how kids are told to sit and think about what they have done and the result of their actions, BLAH BLAH BLAH.. I said: NEVER, never will I give a child of mine a ‘time out’; way too in-depth with your feelings for my tastes. Told you I was opinionated.

Anyhoo, so that leaves us with the Naughty Corner (lovingly ripped off from “The Nanny”. That show is a good ego booster for parents, BTW b/c no ones’ kids are THAT bad, not even the kids they show I am sure). Since the first time we used the Naughty Corner on the Mud Puddle he has come to loathe, dread, and out right fear being sent there.

You would think that there were electric eels, toddler eating monsters or some other horror awaiting him in The Corner. But in fact it is where the front door and closet walls meet. No big whoop. But it is what the Corner has come to represent in his mind that gets him every time. At this point, he visits once a week at most, more like once every two weeks. I just have to say the words and he stops whatever he is doing and turns into the Mud Puddle Angel.
Scott and I joke about sending each other to the Corner and he pipes right in “I’m not going!!”

And when he does go? My lord, it is a wonder the roof stays on the house. The screaming, wailing, TEARS that go along with it. (For the uninformed, the offender spends a minute for each year of age in the corner, so the Mud Puddle is sentenced to three minutes at a time – not an hour. And after your time is up you must apologize for your actions and give a hug. I would actually welcome 34 minutes of quiet time. Get some reading done. Perhaps I will start biting Scott and see if I get sent!). Usually the three minutes consist of The Mud Puddle sobbing “I’m SOOOORRRRRRYYYYY!!”
And me hiding in the bedroom so he can’t see me laugh/crying at him. I find it funny and sad at the same time. The offense has to be pretty bad to actually get sent. In the beginning it was usually for hitting me. That has tapered off (The Corner works!! One point for me!) and now it is usually when he gets out of hand by either spitting, trying to hit or sassing back (If there is one thing I can’t stand it is sass!!!).

So this morning we were having a conversation about the White Witch from “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” and how she is a bad witch and how she makes winter all the time, and is mean to the kids in the book. After our brief discussion, I go back to getting ready and as I am headed toward the door to leave, I spy the White Witch figurine sitting in the Corner. That ought to straighten her right out.