This past week was a milestone week for my family. Hala started pre-school!! So of course we had to do the proud parent thing and take pictures, visit the classroom, ask about her day and what her new friends’ names were… you know, all that first day of school stuff.What also comes with this exciting new transition??? Change. Our routine changes – now Daddy takes Hala to school and picks her up, while I take the other two to daycare. On Mondays, nap items and fruit to share need to be taken to school, and on Fridays nap items come home to get cleaned. Fundraisers begin, fall breaks to plan, and on and on and on.
In the midst of all this, last night I had to put Hala in time-out for refusing to share with her sister. I thought to myself, man, I wish I could be in time-out. Sometimes it seems as though it’s a luxury to have the time to take a breath between the day’s hustle and bustle. I’m not sure where exactly that transition in thinking changes, but at some point we begin to recognize “time-out” is not as punishment, but a gift of time. It signifies a break in momentum in one direction and an opportunity to redirect our energy toward something better.
Give yourself a “time-out” today and recognize it as a chance to change your momentum. Given this opportunity, what path will you take??
Share it with us! Post a comment on the change you are looking to make today!
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI love this post. Just recently I asked the same question on my Facebook page, "When did time-out become a punishment." One of my pithy friends responded to my post by adding that in her day time-out was nothing more than being sent to your room. So I started thinking about how I would love to be sent to my room on occasion. Then it dawned on my -- I'm the disciplinarian in my family. So, I have been taking it on myself in recent weeks to send me to my room. I close the door and read, meditate, pray, or nap. My kids now know that such times are mommy's time-out and they are not to disturb me. I love this "me time" and it helps me to decompress, which allows me to have more energy for my children. Thanks for your post.