Clever Boy

Recently I've been trying hard to use "choosing" language with John. At lunch, John was eating his cheese crackers and cream cheese in the kitchen when Mary needed to nurse, so I moved into the more comfortable den with the baby. A minute later John came running into the den with his lunch. We allow food only in the kitchen and dining rooms because of the constant crumbs and detritus, so after a couple of friendly reminders and John eating his food unabashedly while staring me in the face, I said: "John, are you choosing to have a time out or are you choosing to take your food back into the kitchen?

He gathered up his food and walked carefully over to his time out stool in the corner of the den . . . where he sat down and proceeded to eat the rest of his lunch. A win-win for the boy! I had to admire his cleverness.