Courtesy of Maria, Aaron's fabulous special instructor, we have a new parenting tool and technique. Last week, she gave us a three-minute hourglass timer, and told us it was a useful thing to use in two situations: 1) if the kids are wanting the same toy, one can have it first, and then the timer tells everyone when the other can have it next; and 2) if a time-out is assessed, everyone can see when it will end.
They don't do much playing at home; being out of the house most of their waking hours and either eating a meal or watching TV when they are home. And they've actually been pretty good about sharing; or, more correctly, Jada is learning that if Aaron wants something she's playing with, to just give it to him quickly, under the correct assumption that he will quickly tire of it.
But let's just say Aaron has spent a lot of time in the household penalty box. Time after time, he screams and then pleads and then whimpers his way through his three-minute penalty; and, time after time, that yellow sand finds its way from the top bulb to the bottom bulb.
There have been so many time-outs that I wonder if Aaron will remember hourglasses with yellow sand for the rest of his life in this context. For now, we remain consistent, and hopefully over time he will mark his time and learn his lessons.
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