Here I am playing in my room.Beatrix Potter. Two Bad Mice.
I’ve been thinking about ways to get a little solitude during the holiday, because let’s face it, these days are often filled with family and friends. Of course the message is one of peace, but it’s not easy to speak up and say, “Hey, I want some peace and quiet!” But what if we did? Maybe everyone in the room would shout, “So do I.”
When I was teaching I never liked the idea of teacher-direct time out, but I did get a chuckle out of a frustrated first grader who one day announced, “I am taking a time out.” Off he went to a corner of the room with his book. I hope as a grownup he is still monitoring himself.
I can still feel the sense of relief when one day my mom suggested that I go up to my room and play by myself. “You’ve spend a lot of time with friends, but I know that you like your time alone. Come down in an hour. ” She was probably talking to a whiny, out-of-control ten year old, but my mom knew how to parent me. I recall staying up there all afternoon; I can picture the incident like it happened yesterday.
When I was teaching I never liked the idea of teacher-direct time out, but I did get a chuckle out of a frustrated first grader who one day announced, “I am taking a time out.” Off he went to a corner of the room with his book. I hope as a grownup he is still monitoring himself.
I can still feel the sense of relief when one day my mom suggested that I go up to my room and play by myself. “You’ve spend a lot of time with friends, but I know that you like your time alone. Come down in an hour. ” She was probably talking to a whiny, out-of-control ten year old, but my mom knew how to parent me. I recall staying up there all afternoon; I can picture the incident like it happened yesterday.