The truth about counting to three to get your child's attention

[J3K]

an oldie but goodie. My kids and I were thinking back this evening and that conversation popped up.
It's been a few years , but still brings a giggle . It's funny in a sad sorta way. But I tell ya this...it's reminded me why I never used counting as a sole disciplinary measure.


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scene: Child sitting on my porch, the mother yelling for her to come back.

The mother's favorite method of controlling her children is to sit on the porch and yell things like "If you don't get your butt in here now I'm gonna beat it. ONE. TWO...that's it.....".

I told the four year old "your mother is calling for you. You better go. She sounds angry. I hope everything is alright."

The child says "Nah. She gets like that everytime she tries to count. I think she's mad cuz she can't count to three. She always stops at two."



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That is HILARIOUS!!!!!!


.......................and sad

[Mother Duck]

[BeckaBlue]

I count, usually down though nowadays, it's more of to give them time and if/when they don't respond that is when i 'help'

[mamaKristin]

could be worse. A woman I met told me how she spanks her kids when she gets to 3, for making her count that high, even if they have done what she told them to. I asked her why 3 was such a hard number for her to get to.

I asked her why 3 was such a hard number for her to get to.

I count too, but like a pp said, that's how long they have to do it themselves before I help them. They usually count along and then do it!

[Garnet]

the truth about counting to three to get your childs attention.....at a very young age some can count to three and higher?

[cklewis]

c

[mamahammer]

Originally Posted by wombmate3

I count too, but like a pp said, that's how long they have to do it themselves before I help them. They usually count along and then do it!

That's exactly how it goes at our house, too I'm constantly counting -

Thomas, we'll play for 5 more and then it's time to get in the car...Okay, 3 more in the bath and then it's time for jammies...Mama's going to count for 5 and then we're going inside where it's not a pajillion degrees

Usually, Thomas stops whatever he was doing and follows through with whatever I have said comes next. If not, then I help him do whatever it is without any anger/discussion/disappointment. Just very matter-of-factly

[Nightingale]

I think there's a difference between counting to let them know how much time until we do x, and counting to say, if you don't do what I say, I'm going to ____.

couple stories--

my uncle is here for my sister's wedding. I haven't seen him in 3.5 years, and my cousins are older now. But when they were younger, he was pretty much the furthest thing from "get off your butt parenting." his kids pretty much knew that as long as they didn't get within his reach on the couch, they were safe. I remember him (and his wife) sitting on the couch yelling at his kids to get over there, and they'd run by him and he'd reach out, and if he couldn't reach them he'd just settle back in. I love my uncle, but man, that SO doesn't work.

Then today, at the wedding, there was a lady there with 2 or 3 boys probably from ages 7-10 or so. I didn't know them, they were from the "groom's side" I guess. Anyways, the boys were headed down to this bridge that was over an almost dried up river. The mom (I assume) was standing there counting down from 5, wanting them to come back. She counted down to 1 with her feet firmly planted in one spot, never did move towards them. Then said, "that's it, I'm done." But still didn't do anything. I don't get it.