The 20 Emotionally Taxing Stages of a Toddler Time-Out

Updated on 5/18/2015 at 3:34 PM

When it comes to being an authority figure to your kiddos, sometimes it can be a little hard to get them to understand why it is they are being disciplined for one thing or another — especially when they're only a toddler. When you're trying — and likely failing — to put your toddler in time-out, these are the 20 emotional stages you will unquestionably go through.

It all starts the same: your toddler tests you over and over with behavior they know doesn't fly with you.

So you give them a first warning.

The second warning likely comes shortly after . . .

. . . if not using the trailing breath from the first warning.

They finally get on your last nerve, knowing full well what they are doing.

Time-out time.

You send them over to their designated time-out area.

Which likely has their butt print from the last time-out if it's been one of those days.

They start spitefully giggling because they can see that you're PO'd.

Though they don't truly understand the consequences of playing with your emotions while you are this ticked off.

You tell them to sit down and be quiet for the allotted sentence.

Though you know that they don't really know how to do that.

They get up for the first time, and you just know this is going to be a process.

Seriously, kid?

You put them back into time-out and tell them to just calm down and sit.

They comply, and you count down the seconds in your head until they get up again.

They get up again.

You knew it'd be about four seconds. Good guess, Mom.

You start to get frustrated because you just want them to be quiet and serve their time.

JUST. SIT. THERE.

Once they're seated again, you tell them you're serious now.

SO serious.

You walk away from the time-out area to show you're for real about this.

And they kind of freak out because they realize this isn't a drill.

It now hits them that you're not joking, they're in trouble, and life is not fair.

So not fair.

Incoming: toddler tears.

It begins slowly, and then all of a sudden they're in hysterics.

You feel bad that they're crying and try to look away so you don't give in to their precious glistening tears.

Ahhhh, but, it's so cute, OK, I can't. Ah. PLEASE DON'T CRY.

You try to speed up this whole process by telling them to calm down and just explain why they're in a time-out to you.

Once they tell you what they did wrong, apologies can be issued and this will all be behind you.

But they can't stop crying now, and you start to feel really bad.

Maybe a time-out wasn't necessary? What did they even do wrong again?

In a last-ditch effort to make this experience worth something, you attempt to get through to that little crying babe once more.

"PLEASE. JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU DID WRONG AND SAY SORRY."

And then you cave, because it's just easier.

You know this isn't the most solid parenting, but you don't want to see your kid crying or upset, because that won't really solve anything in the long run anyway.

But then, because they got away with it, your kid immediately goes back into brat mode.

The cycle continues.