Apparently "time out" is no longer politically correct

Written by OHmommy

Thursday, 11 November 2010 00:00

I gave my preschooler a "time out" this afternoon after I caught her giving our dachshund a hair cut.

"Have you ever had a time out at school?" I asked out of curiosity.

"No, Mama. Never!" She shook her head.

"Not even once?"

"No, Mama."

"Good."

"But I spend a lot of time sitting in dah waiting chair."

"What's the waiting chair?"

"A chair you sit in and wait until you make better choices. It's in dah corner."

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 22:19

# Claire 2010-11-10 22:56

Ha! At my kid's school it's called the Thinking Chair. Same concept, though. Whatever...at home it's still Time Out!

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# Elaine 2010-11-10 23:16

I'm totally calling it that from now on. Of course sometimes I have to sit in the "waiting chair" too...

So cute!

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# Hockeymandad 2010-11-10 23:17

What gives with the nice names for punishments? I mean, corrections. The waiting chair? It's cute, but it's not supposed to be cute. When I was a kid I was grounded. Then we moved to the South and I was put on restriction. Now my kids get time outs. I think it's too soft sounding, but I do it anyway. Kids must be confused by sports with all the penalties AND time outs!

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# Texasholly 2010-11-10 23:22

I always hate to sit in the time out room at the doctor's office...

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# Elizabeth 2010-11-11 00:27

Our girls attend a Catholic school. In Kindergarten, my daughter informed me that "Thomas" spends alot of time at the prayer table. When I asked what he was praying for, my daughter told me that the teacher said that he needs to pray for better behavior.

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# Cindy 2010-11-11 09:08

That is so cute..out of the mouth of babes!

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# Marinka 2010-11-11 09:10

Fantastic!

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# Texan Mama 2010-11-11 09:27

Hee hee. When I was in Kindergarten (Way back in 1978) we had a stool with a big cardboard cutout secured to it, in the shape of a doghouse. Seriously, it looked just like Snoopy's dog house. We had to sit there and we were told we were 'in the doghouse' for being naughty. Old-timers time out. Can you imagine the uproar nowadays? I can just hear it... "are you calling my child a dog????"

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# Amber 2010-11-11 09:27

I think "time out" has become cliche. When we use a word too much, it looses it's luster. Like any popular saying, it gets old.

Also, look up PBIS (positive behavior intervention). Schools are trying to be more positive. If a kid associates him/herself with being bad, they are more likely to act out, and just think to themselves "I can do that, because I am a bad kid anyway." Although, when a kid acts out all the time is not punished, they have a rude awakening when they grow up and land in jail, haha. Good and bad things to think about with PBIS....

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# lceel 2010-11-11 10:25

What? No more 'dunce cap'?

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# Ani 2010-11-11 10:49

At my son's school is known as the thinking chair (or tinking chair as the 4 year olds call it!)
Same idea tho :-)

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# dziadek 2010-11-11 12:09

To , tak jak Ja jak bylem w first grade.
Tylko u nas sie nie siedzilo tylko stalo w Kacie(corner).
Stalem i czekalem.

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# Headless Mom 2010-11-11 12:57

*snort*

Why do people try to make discipline "nicer"?

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# Colleen 2010-11-11 14:57

Zoe's kindergarten has a "think it over chair".

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# Amy 2010-11-11 15:01

I totally agree with Headless Mom. It should be called discipline that way the child knows he/she has been schooled into better behavior.
Feenie is a trip. How is the dogs hair?

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