Wait a minute. Someone had to tell you to give TIC a timeout? And I'm the one without a spine?
I am all for sharing advice about parenting, since the process is so demanding and unpredictable and individual. It may take a village to raise a child, but the mantle of discipline lies firmly--and solely--with the parents. Listen to all the opinions you want, but you're the one the kid has to live with and answer to. (You're also the one who needs to teach him not to end sentences with prepositions.)
Frankly, I'm not comfortable if other people, even my friends, discipline my boys. If OneBert gets out of line I feel responsible, and my friends know to come to me because they know I'll be receptive. The problem arises when other parents don't feel the same way, which happens way too often.
Now if a stranger's kid gets out of line--like say, in this circumstance--all bets are off. If someone's kid took a chunk out of my leg with his remote-control car (just how big was this thing, anyway?), and the parent wasn't receptive to my wounds, I would have kept the damn thing, sold it on eBay, and arrived at the playground the next day fanning myself with the cash like Scarlett O'Hara.
You're right. I should have clarified that I thought TIC was *too young* for time-outs to be affective. I had every intention of using them, but I probably would have waited a few more months--I don't think he was even two years old. And since he is a pretty good kid, most of his time-outs are not for bad behavior, but for annoying behavior--whining.
ps. It was a giant hummer.
Posted by: Mother in Chief | Feb 17, 2006 12:59:16 PM