Just now fully converting to the nurtured Heart approach. You're supposed to say, "that's a timeout". Then if they get rude or wound up after that (mine starts chanting, "it's not a timeout! It's not a time out! It's not a timeout.." I'm supposed to say, "take a break". Every few intervals, I guess, until they take a breath then say quickly "Your time-out's over. Thank you for getting control of yourself. You're showing good self respect.". ((*I told him I was going to get a little notebook to keep in my pocket and make a little line in it every time I see him using extra good behavior- he answered "You'll need a big book with a whole lot of big pages in it.))
I also just bought the book "Playful Parenting" which seemed like it would enhance the nurtured heart approach. The amazon site quoted the book as saying kids have these little cups that need to be kept full of love and the quickest way to show we love them is to play with them. The nurtured heart says to describe what you see your kid doing out loud and in detail as if describing to a blind person, at random five times a day- when things are normal, not good or bad. Just to show we see and notice them.
I like that they said playing will remind you of how much you used to like kids. (I guess not your kids, who you love dearly, but kids in general, before you got wore out.).
End book review.
