To hate the words

[maplesyrup]

one............. two........... three.......I always wait to see what will happen after three, what does happen after three? hmm

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if your good at it you NEVER get to three - I never do anyway!

in the past week I've had to shop beside a mum who's obviously looking at stuff, counting beside me, one........ two.......... three......... she turns around, holds the childs hand, walks off happily with child in tow, but it is ME who has to listen to her freaking counting slowly, WHY!! Why shop and count to nearly 3, when obviously nothing is going to happen after 4, 5, 6, or freaking 7!! Where did this stupid idea come from.

I can understand why you might dislike hearing it... but my dd knows that there is a consequence if I get to 1 (we got backwards).

um well i usually have told my dds that something will happen after 3. what exactly depends rather on the cicumstances. sometimes just that mummy will get cross. is that the 1....2....3 you mean
sorry about lack of caps and stuff but cat is on my knee and i am holding laptop in one hand and typing with other

by three the desired behaviour has manifested itself. As if by magic

so, to discipline a child you stand and shop and mutter 1, 2, 3.......... sometimes it's a half hearted 1.............. , whilst still shopping, child behind you not doing anything in particular that is naughty, but it's so ingrained in your mind to start counting numbers even though the child has just turned his/her back. This has happened to me twice this week, standing beside someone shouting 1........., 2........... 3............ then turned around, took child by hand and happily walked out. Is it ingrained into their brains to stand in a shop saying this? Where did this come from? 1, 2 and freaking 3?

hm..I do this, and my Kids either do as they are told or whichever consequence that was set beforehand will then happen....i.e. if you don't listen we ar leaving....etc....only useful if you actually go through it with....

saying this, I usually count to 1...2...2 1/4....2 1/2....2 3/4...3....

i dont just mutter it randomly.

Mine go on the naughty mat at 3, usually after a laurel and hardy style chase round the living room. Am brilliant at discipline.

we count to 5 in this house and I have rarely had to get there - good thing really as I don't know what I'd do if I did

yeah, I always swore I'd never do this, yet recently, and for no apparent reason, I find myself doing it.

And I even say one... two... three... three-and-a-half
...to give them time to behave themselves and thus avoid putting my money where my mouth is.

But better than screaming like a fishwife, I do find.

three is the magic number

you not wathcing monty pythons holy grail? 3 shalt be the number, not 4 or 5

DH calls me The Count coz I always use 1..2..3..(have been known to use 3..4..41/2..4and3/4) but I always say "if you don't do abc by the time I get to 5 then xyz will/won't happen" works well hence rarely counting past three. Find the counting quite calming if I'm feeling frazzled tbh.

I agree that it is totally about meaning it... and following through. I also think it is very important to monitor the countdown / countup so that it's not just 1, 2, 3 but there is enough reasonable time for the children to choose to change their behaviour.

Geraldine... I wouldn't worry about the chase atm. Your dcs know they are going on the mat. You can reason with them later (ie talk about how much easier it would be if they just went there and did the time).

Somehow i never get to 3. Its always 1 ........ 2 ......... and then they're where i want them to be!

Thank God really, because i've no idea myself what i would do at 3 ...

I always give a consequence for what will happen at 3 - usually that we will go home and/or she will straight go to bed. When she was younger it was 'you will go back in your pushchair', which she hated.

In the early days of this she did let me get to three, but after I followed through on whatever it was that I'd threatened a few times, she soon learnt that I meant it and I never had to get beyond 2.

And I never mumble randomly - in fact I made a grown man standing next to me jump when I called after her in the supermarket the other day... - in my defence she was wibbling off down another aisle and was about to go out of my sight, so I used my scary horse-chastising voice to make sure she heard me...

at people that only have to count to 3. I have to count to 10, slowly. It usually works though. If I get to 10 there will be a punishment eg withdrawal of treat.

I say 1......2......you really don't want me to get to 3...

That shifts the buggers, I can tell you