Little Sally, Take Five

Time-outs, inevitable. Even if you don't call them time-outs or you don't have a special time-out spot, as parents, most of us need to "take five." Me? I "take five" basically everyday. One of the boys does something and I send him to his room. It gives me time to cool off and breathe! Fortunately and unfortunately my boys are constantly calling down, "Mom, can I come out now?" Fortunately, because I would probably forget about him up in his room and enjoy the peace and quiet. Unfortunately, because the yelling-down-to-me-every-minute gets a little annoying.

If this scenario sounds at all familiar, you might be happy to find the Time-Out Animals made by Jaag. They make cute stuffed animals with a built-in timer. Clever.

In reality, this little guy can be much more than just a time-out animal. He can assist you when you say, "Ten minutes until bedtime." Then, set the timer. If you are like me, ten minutes easily turns into twenty minutes. I know, I know, bad habit. Moving on...

This would also be a great gift for a preschool teacher as well - he/she could use it in the classroom. Heck, these little creatures can even travel into the kitchen and be useful when baking.

Just in case you are having a difficult time with time-outs - they just don't seem to be working - check out the 10 Steps To A Successful Time-Out from the Time-Out Mom website. It's handy.

All of this makes me think... I should create a mom's t-shirt that reads, Mom wants a time-out. What do you think?!!?