Timeout

We have started to introduce timeouts in our house. Like most almost 2 year olds my child has his moments and tries to test us. Thankfully they are far and few between. We feel having a plan of action to this behavior would be a good thing. At first Cole really didn’t understand the concept of timeout. But after he’s second time in the corner he seemed to understand that if he acted out or didn’t listen to Mama or Dada that he would have to sit in timeout. It is work in progress but it seemed to be effective.

Then comes yesterday,

Cole: Is swinging his golf club against the kitchen cabinets
Me: “Cole do not swing at the cabinets”
Cole: Looks at me and swings away at the cabinets
Me: I start counting “1, 2 , do you want to go to timeout?”
Cole: “Timeout!”, he proceeds to run to the corner and stand there smiling.

Damn if I didn’t start laughing. Really, did he just put himself in timeout?!?! I let him stand there for a minute then walked over and explained to him that we don’t hit the cabinets with the golf club, timeout is over.

Later that night we are sitting in the basement ..my parents are over and we are talking about so and so. Cole is over in his play area and he starts to bang his tractor against the hardwood floors.

Me: “Cole please don’t bang the tractor, be gentle”
Cole: Jumps up , shouts “Timeout!” and proceeds to run to the corner.

Oh kid you crack me up! Obviously my child does not fear the threat of timeout…heck he seems to like it! So I’m not 100% sure our plan to action to discipline Cole is very effective. What I’m supposed to do if my kid LIKES timeouts?!