The little devil on Drew’s shoulder triumphed as he spilled the dog’s food onto the floor. This has been an ongoing conflict Drew has been dealing with – the devil versus the angel. Unfortunately the devil has had increasingly more influence lately.
Before I had Drew, I was always the kind of person that would watch parents discipline their children and pass judgment. I theoretically knew the best solutions for communicating with your children. Now that I have the opportunity to utilize these skills I was so certain I had mastered, I now realize that I had no clue.
We’ve resorted to the ever-so popular time-out method. For centuries, children have been sent to “time-out” for letting the devil get the better of them. For centuries, children have feared this effective form of discipline. Drew, on the other hand, finds time-out hilarious, funniest thing ever! And all effective disciplining has gone out the door.
I try to just look at him as a baby that doesn’t understand; however, he smiles and watches us while he’s committing his crimes which feels all too premeditated. We have tried raising our voices, giving the glare of death or sternly telling him no. Any form or fashion we try is just downright hysterical to our little monster. As a result, we try to avoid the circumstances that will lead to bad behavior.
It makes the little guy quite furious when he is restricted. We try explaining if he would behave, a concept that is far too advanced for a 22 month to grasp, we would give him back these privileges. As he whines and cries we end up believing that this time will be different. Permission granted back to the scene of the crime! Within minutes, sometimes seconds, the little monster is back and we regret our decision all over again!
Out of shear frustration, we are back to a time-out consisting of smiles and giggles. It’s starting to feel like a never-ending cycle of conflict with the devil on Drew’s left shoulder! Hopefully by the time Baby #2 comes around we will have mastered the art of discipline.
I'm a mother, wife, daughter, and friend. Until recently I was also an employee. Now that I'm a full time mom, I've decided to make my thoughts, concerns and feelings public.
