Over the last few weeks Zion has progressively gotten more and more agressive and strong willed. He started out hitting me back when I'd spank him, then when he realized I wasn't having that he would hit Jayden or Manuel when he'd get in trouble, and most recently he just throws or kicks stuff until he finally realizes that everytime he does something out of anger he gets in more trouble. This process has lasted anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes, moving from thing to thing taking his frustration out on it. Yesterday I listed to a Family Life Broadcast talking about the proper way to discipline our children and I decided last night to try placing Zion on time out instead of spanking him since he appears to have anger issues. I was in the kitchen cooking and he tried to get in the oven. I gave him the traditional warning and advised him that if he did it again he'd have to go to time out. Less than a minute later, he again had the oven open and was trying to climb in. I told him no, the oven is hot, and picked him up and headed to place him on our stairs, "the naught spot". On the way I explained that he had disobeyed me and that god punishes those who disobey and that I was required by god to hold him accountable for his actions.... All of this I explain to a 20 MONTH old, but suposably he understands. I placed Zion on the naughty spot and stood there since it was his first time and I fully anticipated that he wouldn't stay seated. To my dismay, he sat perfectly still until his minute and a half was up. I picked him up and again explained to him why he had been punished and reassured him that I loved him. I went back into the kitchen and proceeded to cook the entire meal without him going back to the stove. Ahhhh success! Later on in the evening I was ironing the kids cloths for the next day and Zion got mad because I wouldn't let him climb onto the counter top, "where the HOT iron was, not to mention he could fall down and split his head open", so true to form he begins throwing a fit by going into my closet and getting my shoes and throwing them into the bathtub and turning on the water. I gave him a warning not to continue his behavior or he'd be placed in time out, he didn't listen so I picked him up, explained that he was being disobedient and that god punishes those who disobey and that I was required by god to hold him accountable for his actions. I placed him on the "naughty spot", told him he must stay there until I came back to get him and walked away. You would have thought I was killing the child. He cried bloody murder, I continued what I was doing, and to my suprise all of a sudden Zion stopped crying. I was thrilled! It worked, and I don't even have to stand over him to make him sit there! He understands! When the minute and a half was up I walked out of our bedroom to go release Zion only to find that Jayden had gone to the stairs and picked him up and was sitting in the Naughty Spot HOLDING Zion!
