Time out for the purple crayon

As a kindergarten teacher, I truly believed in the benefits of using time-out as a form of discipline. I used it to not only calm down children who needed a break, but also as a way for the children to realize the importance of paying attention. I used to tell the children in my class that if they wasted my time I got to waste their time (recess or choice). Some children you threaten to give them a 5 min time-out at recess once and you never have an issue with them again. Others, well others spend more time in time-out than out of it.

One suggestion I had for a lot of my parents who were dealing with behavioral issues at home was to put their child's favorite toy (or the toy that there is an issue with) in time-out. Toys are a privileged and you have to earn the right to play with them. When you can show me that you are in control and responsible you can have it back.

Today I had to put Blake's crayons in time-out. (I do not use time-out with him yet. I will walk away from him if he is having an issue, or I will remove him from the situation, but I do not feel that he can truly understand time-out at this stage.) Blake has been playing this new game called I'm done drawing lets run around with the crayons. Ok fine. I usually watch/monitor him and he runs around the couch a few times and then puts the crayons down and goes onto something else.

Today the something else was drawing on the sliding glass doors. We talk a lot about only drawing on paper. He even got the paper out himself today. But, when he was done he decided to try drawing on the window... ok that's not going to fly. So I took away the crayon and put it in the tin with the others and put them up out of reach. I told him they were in time-out and he could have them back later today. Then we got a cloth and cleaned the crayon off the glass (got to love washable crayons!).

He was not happy with me, and by no means do I think that is the last time his crayons will be in time-out, but at least he cleaned up his mess. Oh and he also gave me a hug to say sorry... we are working on that... when he make the wrong choice he has to give the person a hug to say sorry since he can't say the words yet. Today was the first time he did it without being prompted... baby steps!

8 comments:

  1. We've had crayons on the walls here.... among other things....

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  2. My first memory of school:

    I was 3. In pre-school. This teacher used to do a roll call every morning. She said my name and looked RIGHT at me. So I didn't respond because (duh) she could see me. So she got mad that I didn't respond and put me in Time Out.

    ALL DAY.

    Yes, I was in Time Out during class (sat on a stool in the corner) and during recess. When recess was over, I had to return to the stool.

    And I still remember it!

    Oddly, I'm all about using Time Out, now, despite my experience . . . but hell, perpetual Time out for a 3 year old? Not so much.

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  3. awe...that is so cute. We have put plenty of things in my class in time out. The play-doh, paint, sand, etc. You know how it goes...haha

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  4. Yep, we have washables here too. And we have graffiti that's been washed off of every wall and window she can reach, LOL! And even after her crayons go in time out for a few hours, she goes right back to her crime once she has them back. It's funny to me, but she'll never know that.

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  5. you are doing a great job of setting the stage for discipline.

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  6. I do the same thing in my class.. I have to put some games in timeouts because my class fights over them...

    Today I had to give 2 of my kids a "break" because they were fighting and it led to spitting at one another.. Gross, gross, gross...

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  7. Wonderful Lori, you are doing a gret job!

    Time outs are a must sometimes and we use them in our house for kids and toys!

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  8. i am going to tuck that one under my hat and remember to use it!! do u think that will work on husbands too?

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