Punishing Punishment

In Dennis the menace comics, I have often see the little fellow in the ‘time-out’ pose. Sitting in a corner, out of trouble.

So when Chuvai ( our 3-year-old son) had pulled Choti ’s (a year old daughter) scurrying-away-at-full-speed legs one too many times, I thought it was time for a new punishment-TIMEOUT. I had tried it earlier when he was younger, but he just did not get the concept, then.

So I made him stand in a corner after giving her, her toys in the crib. I looked forward to at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted cooking time. The little fellow was, however smiling. I thought a few minutes into it and he would realise the ‘punishment’. Like why he got punished, it is boring to stand in a corner, he got punished and so should not do it again…that kind of realization.

The smiling lips just confirmed ‘I should stand in this corner? Like this (sticking to the corner) or like this (moving away)? ‘

I merely made a stern face and moved to the kitchen.

A little-bit-baby-a-little-bit-boy voice “mamma, I want some water, I am sooooooo thirsty’

With a stern ’Coming’, I brought him water.

Innocent me, should have read the warning in his laughing eyes.

Next ‘ Ma, I am so hungry’. That from a kid, who is the picky eater, no eater all rolled into one. Some time we wonder where he gets his boundless energy from, since he barely eats. We even secretly have a theory that kids (at least him) have some kind of chlorophyl-thing that helps them manufacture energy from the sun and air.

Anyways, so I mix food for him in a bowl and give it to him. There in the corner. Secretly congratulating myself, that I didn’t cave in and move him to his chair at the dining table.

‘Ma, Can you give me a paper napkin? Some mammam ( his generic term for food) has fallen on the floor….so I want to clean it. It will look dirty no? Please’. Now his voice is all sweet and polite, because he instinctively knows he has me where he wants me.

Tables seem turned. I still persist. Stern, again ‘I will clean it, finish mammam. Quietly’.

I have barely reached the the kitchen,

‘Ma chu-chu’. That is non-debatable, and I finally give in ‘Run to the bathroom’.

Then the little mischief asks ‘So I have to stand in the corner now’. I soldier on ‘No. It’s Ok. 15 minutes are over. But don’t pull her leg again, Ok?’

The next day,’Ma shall we play that game. You tell me to stand in the corner…Shall I stand in this corner. Ok, today, this corner?’

I don't know whether to laugh or cry, that he thinks of it as a game. A game? . Where I run around, bringing him things, while he ordered from one corner ? I felt it was time to change the topic.

I protest “No, No, let us play with cars, cricket?”. As he gleefully agrees, I am wondering whether he is taking me for a ride. Has he outgrown the stage where I could ‘Time-out’ him. Which part of the 'punishment', didn’t I communicate properly?

And how did I get myself into playing cricket with an 24-inch-plastic cricket bat……with a guy who shouts ‘OUT’ every time I manage to connect with the tennis ball….