Rarely do I need to pull out the dreaded time out around the ole homestead. My kids aren't angels, but I dont find time outs to be overly effective, especially given their ages (seven and eight).
What I do use is the mandatory 30 minute house wide lay down. And I mean mandatory. We ALL lay down, even the cat. Yes, I lay down too, because I do try to lead by example, and how much rest are the kids going to get when I'm banging around downstairs doing dishes?
Why would I shut the entire house down for 30 minutes of quiet time? 9/10 times when behaviors get out of control and there is no turning back it is because the kids are overly tired and need a rest. Very rarely are the kids still awake after 30 minutes, which means that they're getting the rest the so desperately need.
Tonight was one of those nights. Both girls had a camping sleepover last night, that apparently didn't involve a large amount of sleeping. A sleepover that resulted in them spending the entire day at each other. Seriously, at each other. They couldn't even glance in the others general direction without causing a rumble. So by the time 7pm rolled around it was time for my Mommy trick. Its always my rule that if they are still awake after 30 minutes they can get up, very rarely does this ever happen.
I am many things, and one thing that I am is a smart Mommy. These last 8.5 years have taught me a trick or two about handing my children, and so when I pull out the mandatory 30 minute house wide lay down emergency plan I know that its going to work. Unfortunately my children are also quite smart, and my 8 year old no longer takes an overly positive approach to having a lie down. She knows that the 30 minute house wide lay down means an early bedtime, or a rare afternoon nap which doesn't make her overly happy.
At such, it does take a little bit more coaxing to get her to settle in, but when she does she quickly closes her eyes and wakes up in such a better mood its amazing really!
What are your tricky parenting tricks?