I'm kind of obsessed with the color red for decorating. I just love it! Not fire-engine red, but deep red. So pretty in my opinion. Anywho...
So we haven't yet used the chair for time-out. Reese is not quite 17 months and it seems like I've mostly heard that 18 months is a good age to start time-out. I'm curious as to what some of you experienced parents out there have done. Is 18 months too early, too late, just right? I've already loved some of your ideas like using a high bar-stool so they can't get down (awesome Natalie) and taking the chair away as discipline (ha). Any other ideas or thoughts of what has worked and at what age?
Randomness:
I realize that I usually post pictures of Reese all dressed up with her hair all done. That is how I certainly like to have her, but it's definitely not how she always is. This is a picture of my little vagabond child from one of our more lazy days. Like today. It's 9:00 am and she is still asleep. She's like a teenager sometimes! Some mornings we have to wake her up and she turns her little body away from us and grunts. Tom nicknamed her Rip Van Reesel.
Love the crazy hair, the partial outfit that we had her sleep in from the day before, and of course holding her "quackas." (crackers)
21 comments:
I wish I looked that cute first thing in the morning:).
Impressive paint job. I panted the rocking chair in Jocelyn's room and it didn't turn out nearly as good.
that's a great chair.
I have no advice for disciplining. My child is 3 and we are still coming up with new ways to hopefully help him learn what not to do. We started throwing a toy away until he thought it was a game and didn't care anymore. he wanted to help throw it away. Doesn't work when the kids agrees with it! Oh well. We'll find what works hopefully! Good luck to you as well.
Hey Rachel! The "naughty" chair works for us! We started Kloey in her naughty chair around 18 months. She has to sit in it for 3 1/2 minutes (time=age) with no crying, no talking, and no toys. It sits in the hallway where she can't see anyone or anything. I know that sounds harsh, but it works!!! We always say " if you do the crime, you do the time!" GOOD LUCKL!
I love the red chair! The color is the perfect shade of red.
As far as time outs...I think it depends on what she understands, you know? Kelsey totally understood at 18 months what she was doing and seemed to get the consequences...but I was more about natural consequences (if I remember right...). So if she threw her food off her tray...then we took her food away. If she threw her puppy over the railing...we took the puppy away. And the key, I think, is to give them choices on most things so they feel in control at this crazy age. I would always give her a warning about not doing something and then the next time you have to follow through EVERYTIME with the consequence you set up (a teacher trick). Not that I'm perfect at this by any means. But we try. I do think that it's more like 2or 2 1/4 when kelsey really "got" time outs though and was able to stay on the stair (we put her at the bottom stair). Before that if she had a meltdown I'd put her in her crib so she couldn't get out. It worked for her but might not for all. This can be the cutest and sometimes a really frustrating stage as you figure out what works for your own little kiddie. But you guys are such amazing parents and little Reese is such a doll--so I know you'll totally figure it all out. Good luck! I wish I could say exactly what works the best...but choices work really well for our kids (ie...I put on your shoes or you do...You can have apple or banana...etc) and it does help with not so many meltdowns since they get to choose all the small things and then I can lay the line and pick the bigger things. And then I don't feel like I'm saying no all the time.
Okay...so this is so long. I promise that I don't have it all figured out--so I hope I haven't come across as the perfect mom :-). Kelsey is our trial child as Reese will be yours....ha, ha. we find out what works and what doesn't. Too bad Blake's so different and so I feel like we're back at square one...
okay...so I really just should email you these things instead of leaving a novel post. Sorry to everyone else who didn't want to read me going on and on and on...
Paige, that's hilarious that it back-fired. Jenn, those are good ideas for the naughty chair and I'm so glad to hear that it can work! And Marisa, that's totally awesome advice. That's exactly what I wanted and my gosh, like I don't always leave novels on your blog! :) Following through can be so hard sometimes. Sometimes after I get after her about something and she's still persistent about doing it, I feel so lazy and don't want to fight it even though I understand the importance of following through. Tom and I often talk about being better follower throughers and also making sure we get after her about the same things so she doesn't think she can get away with it with one parent. Ahhh, so much to learn with my little "trial child"!
Time out has worked very well for us. We follow the "Nanny" approach, (yes, we do even watch it on TV sometimes) but we got the ideas from her book. Here are the steps...1-Tell her what she is doing is wrong, be specific as to why...2-If she does it again, tell her that the next time she will be in time-out...3-Put her in time out if she does it again, tell her again why she is in timeout and then leave her there for her age (18 months=1 minute, 30 seconds, etc.) While she is in time-out, ignore her, do not talk to her, do not look at her (sounds harsh, but its pretty important as a lot of acting out at this age is just for attention in the wrong way)...4-After her time is up, explain why she was in time-out yet again, I usually have Abby say she is sorry, we give hugs, and then we forget about it
I do have to agree with Marisa that each child is different, but this has worked pretty well for us during the last few months or so. Abby does understand when she is doing something wrong, and I think a lot of the time, she just needs a moment to regroup, calm herself down, and then she can get back to her normal sweet self.
We don't have all the answers (and being consistent is our biggest weakness too) but I guess that's a part of being first-time parents. Reese is such a sweetie and you're a great mom so I know you'll figure out something that will work well for you!
Hi Rachel,
This is so random and Six Degrees-ish, but my friend just added me on facebook, and while looking through her profile, I came across Jacob's blog, and from there I found yours... I thought your name sounded familiar and then realized that we had played in a soccer league together and lived near each other in Vegas back in junior/high school.
Just wanted to say hello and that your daughter is adorable. :-) It's so fascinating to see where old classmates end up after all these years. Wish you and your family all the best!
xo
linda tran.
Reese looks adorable even in her morning grubbies. And I love the color of the chair! I'm a big deep red fan, too.
I am way into red now too. I just painted a wall in out appartment red... and love it! Hey, let me know what you figure out with the time out thing, I will need some tips here pretty soon.
she's still so cute! even with her hair all crazy! Mikayla wakes up with some wild hair sometimes. and don't we all have those LAZY days!
It makes me laugh at how time-out in our house has "evolved." I think 18 months is plenty ready. Kids are way smarter than we give them credit for. I HAVE to set the timer (we use their age too) or else I forget they are there.
I can't imagine that sweet little girl doing ANYTHING wrong though!
I love blogs. It's so fun to read so many people's thoughts on topics like this. As you know, we just started Austin on time outs too. We'll see how it goes. I'll promise to follow through if you will!
That pic of your "vagabound" made me laugh out loud. I love the hair! What a cutie!
PS. Do you know what book Dadra was talking about?
Linda, HI! The internet is kind of freaking me out lately with how it's connecting me with so many old friends. I love it! It's so good to hear from you. Sorry I'm responding to you back here. I'm just not sure how else to "talk" to you without having a link to a blog. I've never used Facebook and don't know much about it, but it sounds pretty cool. I should try it out. Anyway, thanks for saying hi and I hope everything's going well for you!
And thanks to everybody with all your discipline advice. We're going to need it with this little feisty one. :) I hope I haven't painted a picture of Reese like she's the worst child around. She's certainly feisty, but she's definitely just your average little person who can be such a boogar, but then turn around and be the sweetest and most fun thing around. She was cracking me up this morning. I was going around the house doing little touch up paint projects and she repeatedly would come up behind me and hug me so tight with a big smile and sigh an "Ahhh." It made me melt and I immediately said, "Oh my gosh, I will give you whatever you want!" Oh the joys of little people.
Heidi, I don't know the actual name of the book Dadra's referring to, but I'm pretty sure it's that Supernanny lady. Right Dadra? She's awesome. Tom and I have been watching lately and gearing up for the fun terrible twos discipline years. And I will definitely stick to the time-out along with you. It sounds like it's effective.
Well like several other people on here have already said we also use the Super Nanny "naught spot" or chair or whatever works. We use a corner in our kitchen and it works wonders! I started using it with Grace before she was two and I use it with Lexi too who is 9 and it works for both them and me! The key is being consistent with it.
Oh and red is one of my favorite colors! We have a red office and my room has red in it too! Oh and my bathroom! :)
Rachel,
Reese looks perfect every time I look at your blog. It's nice to see that sometimes she looks like my kids. I love the purse. And the red chair looks great.
Please don't stop leaving me comments. I love them!
Emily =)
I also love to decorate with red! I have actually gotten some red items from your mom's store that I love!! Reese is so adorable- whether her hair is done or not!!
It was so good to hear from you! I am glad you were "lurking"!:) Your daughter is so cute and that red chair is so cute! My son has to stand in the corner. If I had a great chair like that, I don't think it would be a punishment!
Ha ha! She reminds me of Skye with her hair like that!!!
PS On the time-outs, the chair is so cute! But, personally I like the bathroom or another closed door (like the bedroom) because I like the fight/fit to be over when they go in time out rather than having to keep struggling with them to keep them in the chair.
Cute chair. I love red!!!! That Reese sure can be a little imp!
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