Discipline

The other day Ali was really, really tired, and a bit cranky from being napless and hungry, but he refused to come in and eat dinner. I told him he needed to come in and eat, and he told me he didn't want to and finished up by saying, "So shut up your mouth."
"Ali," I said firmly, "Don't talk to me like that." I stepped out of his sight to let loose with a chuckle at his funny tone of voice.
He began to cry, and then started walking toward me. I was planning to just feed him and put him to bed, but he headed toward the time out chair and clambered up, so I set the timer for one minute. Then he apologized and ate his dinner.

I'd done some baking over Spring Break and Leila has a lot of trouble resisting sweets. One evening she and Ali helped themselves to more freshly baked cookies and were punished with no cookies at all the next day. Another day I found the lid half off the blackberry bars, and asked her if she'd been in them. The misshapen piece was evidence enough, but she confirmed she had and said, "I'm going to my room." She did think maybe not getting any desert would be worth it, but I preferred she go to her room. No desert is punishment for all of us!