Time Out
2004-02-18 12:00AM PST/Home
Yesterday was the first day I disciplined my youngest daughter. Over the past couple weeks she had been turning on and off the TV, changing channels, adjusting the settings. Chip off the old block. Usually, one of us, my older daughter too, would yell, "NO!" and shoo her away from there. But lately, my wife and I have been noticing her eyes. She'll look right at you before she does it, and usually give you this devilish little grin. Oh and then jab away at one of the buttons on the front of the TV. It's a game. The lets get a rise out of Mommy, Daddy, whoever happens to be there game.
And she knows exactly what's she's been doing. Ok, she may be literally pushing buttons on the TV, but that's boring. What she's really been doing is pushing MY buttons the little stinker. So off she went to her room for about twenty seconds of alone time in her crib. Brought her back downstairs and about five minutes later it was the same thing. Little mischevious grin, turned the TV on and see if we get a rise out of Daddy. So again I whisked her up stairs for about twenty seconds of alone time. She didn't do it again for the rest of the day.
Well, not true. A couple hours later she grabbed both of her blankets and turned on the TV. And then immediately curled up with them and waited for me to take her upstairs to the crib. I had to laugh, it made such perfect sense.
Isn't it funny, or maybe kind of sad that the first day you discipline your child is also the first day you realize that there really is this independent little person in there.
