The Magic of Counting to 10

My mom the other day learned something new at a conference that she attended. I liked the concept and tweaked it a little bit to make it work for me. You gently ask your child to do what ever it is that you need them to do. Today it was folding their pile of laundry. After you are done asking them you count to 10 slowly in your mind. It might seem like and eternity. If after 3 times they don't come and do what I ask them to do I politely put them into the "Thinking Corner". It was AMAZING. I didn't scream and yell at them. It did take them 3 times to come and do it, but they DID. It was so much better then what I was doing before. And I've taken to counting to 10 when I am just about to lose it with them as well. I generally have to close my eyes when I'm doing this, it helps to not look at the child. The kids know that their consequence for not coming is the "Thinking Corner". I came up with the "Thinking Corner" rather then the Naughty Chair or Stair. I would rather them THINK about what they did, and emphasize that rather then that they were Naughty. Besides, I have a hard time with the word Naughty. To me, it sounds like your getting ready to get jiggy with your husband because he's been a naughty boy. So "Thinking Corner" it is.