you and your former partner could interfere with the explanation.
Getting Started
Here’s one way to start: “Listen, you guys know there are times when
you do things we don’t care for, like arguing, whining, and teasing.
From now on we’re going to do something different. When we see
you doing something you’re not supposed to do, we’ll say, ‘That’s 1.’
That’s a warning, and it means you’re supposed to stop. If you don’t
stop, we’ll say, ‘That’s 2.’ That will be your second warning. If you
still don’t stop, we’ll say, ‘That’s 3. Take five (or however many
minutes equals your age).’ That means you have to go to your room
for a time-out. It’s like a kind of rest period. When you come out, we
don’t talk about what happened unless it’s really necessary. We just
forget it and start over.”
Quik TipIt’s very important to rehearse or role-play the counting procedure for older
children as well as little kids. This gives the children a real feel for what’s going to
happen when you start counting, and it also lets them know you’re serious about
addressing their behavior in a new way.“By the way, kids, there’s part of this new system that you’ll like