Timed Out

August 6th, around dinnertime

I really wish I remembered now or even just wrote a few words in this draft post to give me a clue of why I had this photo of you sitting in that corner serving your much deserved time out. But I do vividly remember though that when I told you I had to do it, you just nodded your head and proceeded to grab your chair. You gently positioned it in that corner and went on to sit till the time you need to serve was up. Your puppy eyes were pleading for me to forgive and yet you kept quite in that corner. You waited till I signaled it was okay to leave that corner.

"You sit there for 5 minutes." I had to say that firmly making sure I didn't choke or show any sign of amusement.

On times like these, you never argue with me now. You perfectly understand the rules in our house. You know that when you did something wrong, you need to be "punished". You hardly even cry anymore. Like in this photo. You didn't cry anymore. But I know you were really sorry. 

I often here you say you are now my big baby. Our big baby. I'm happy you still like to be called our baby. I hope you will never feel embarrassed if in case you're all grown up and we still call you Baby. Don't worry sweetie, it's not going to be that often but I hope when the moment hits us you would allow us to baby you that way we do right now. Because really, you will forever remain our baby. (forgive Mommy, I'm just extra sentimental today)

p.s. You might eventually be curious if time outs ever worked for you and might be surprised to know that they did work. Time outs gave us both the time to regroup and rethink our actions. On your part maybe it wasn't that way yet but almost always when we talk after your time outs, you seem to realize what your mistakes were and would acknowledge them by readily offering your heartfelt apologies. That is enough for me and your dad. I hope you will never outgrow that gift of genuine humility and courage to accept your mistakes because when you are older they would probably become one of the most difficult virtues to nurture and live by.