Sit In The Corner And Take A Time Out!!
Yep. Every parent has said it. You lose your cool and send them on a Time Out for 3 years. It’s 100% normal to become frustrated. And what does the kid do in that Time Out in the corner? Nada. Nothing. And they return pouting and feeling bummed out.
In the home it’s very different than in the classroom, but when I’m dealing with a student who needs a Time Out I try to give them something to do that will refocus them instead of sending them to solitary confinement. Here are a few things I do:
1. I have them write down what happened and what could change next time. Then we read it together and discuss.
2. I give them a mundane job to do: Organize markers, clean up the art center, organize one of the library sections in my classroom or sharpen pencils. Then we have a conversation when they return, a whole lot calmer.
3. Have them do a little physical exercise to calm down. I might have them do a few pushups, crunches or stretch before we talk about what they just did.
These are just a few ideas. There are still consequences to their actions and there may be a punishment, but this gives them time to re-center themselves and it also buys me a few moments to think about how I want to address the problem at hand.
October 13th, 2009
