THE 'TIME-OUT' CHAIR
Today I took my four-year-old into my lap.
This was his time-out.
Time to cuddle with mommy
And hear how much he means to me.
Not him sitting alone in a chair
Feeling as if everyone hates him.
I’m not the perfect parent.
I yell, throw things at my kids
And say mean stuff sometimes.
Today my kid was acting
Like what other people might call a brat
Kicking his brother
Knocking over toys
And yelling at the top of his lungs
To bug us all.
So I went over to him, lifted him up
And held him close, just us.
I told him he is special to me
He melted, tension flowed away
Centre of my world
He relaxed, aaaah…
After a few minutes
He jumped off my lap
And went to play quietly with his brother.
I watched in awe.
I finally listened to my insides
That said children need love
Not punishment.
To be the centre of one’s world
For just a few minutes
In the time-out chair.
(Used with permission)
