I always thought this statement was nothing but a big lie. Whenever my parents said this, I would think "yeah, right! How could this hurt you more than it hurts me?" However, now that I have to start getting tough with the punishments, I understand this statement and know that it is grounded in honesty.
Lately, Kaelyn has been screaming (almost all day), back-talking, and overall misbehaving. She will actually do something naughty just to do it -- just to see what will happen if she gets caught. So, Brian and I have had to step up and really follow through on the punishments. Time out has become a serious consequence as has spending some alone time in her room.
Today, we had planned on going to the zoo. However, Kaelyn was so out of control that I told her we would not be going because of her behavior. This really set her off and she started screaming at the top of her lungs. As a result, I sent her to her room. When she was allowed to come out, she was still upset and began screaming again. This time, she was asked to sit in time out. When she was finally done (time does not start until she is quiet and this often proves difficult for Kaelyn), she was great -- her attitude was much improved. However, after a few minutes, she returned to the screaming. At this point, I was at my limit so I sent her to her room. She spent almost an hour in her room, and when she was allowed out, her attitude was much improved.
Throughout all of the punishments, my heart just ached. I really did not want to punish her. I wanted her to realize that her behavior was unacceptable and correct it on her own. This is virtually impossible for any young child, especially one that is emotionally out of control. I really felt crummy when I was listening to her scream in her room, but I knew that her being punished was sending the right message. The message being: unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated, and those participating in unacceptable behavior will be punished.
I love Kaelyn with every fiber of my being, and punishing her really does hurt me more than it hurts her.
Lately, Kaelyn has been screaming (almost all day), back-talking, and overall misbehaving. She will actually do something naughty just to do it -- just to see what will happen if she gets caught. So, Brian and I have had to step up and really follow through on the punishments. Time out has become a serious consequence as has spending some alone time in her room.
Today, we had planned on going to the zoo. However, Kaelyn was so out of control that I told her we would not be going because of her behavior. This really set her off and she started screaming at the top of her lungs. As a result, I sent her to her room. When she was allowed to come out, she was still upset and began screaming again. This time, she was asked to sit in time out. When she was finally done (time does not start until she is quiet and this often proves difficult for Kaelyn), she was great -- her attitude was much improved. However, after a few minutes, she returned to the screaming. At this point, I was at my limit so I sent her to her room. She spent almost an hour in her room, and when she was allowed out, her attitude was much improved.
Throughout all of the punishments, my heart just ached. I really did not want to punish her. I wanted her to realize that her behavior was unacceptable and correct it on her own. This is virtually impossible for any young child, especially one that is emotionally out of control. I really felt crummy when I was listening to her scream in her room, but I knew that her being punished was sending the right message. The message being: unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated, and those participating in unacceptable behavior will be punished.
I love Kaelyn with every fiber of my being, and punishing her really does hurt me more than it hurts her.
0 comments:
Post a Comment