We have instituted the naughty spot at our house. Yes, I will freely admit to having become hooked on Supernanny. Mostly, it reassures me that things at our house are not nearly as bad as I might sometimes think they are.

So anyway, we have a naughty spot now. It all happened Friday evening at supper time. Alison and I came into the house and were on our way to the bathroom to wash up for supper when she noticed the butter dish sitting on the dining room table (we were having corn on the cob). She reached for it and I told her no. She took the lid off and I told her no. She stuck her finger into the butter and then stuck a finger-full into her mouth, as I shouted no. I then sent her to her room. It was at this point that I realized that was a dumb thing to do. In her room she has a bunch of stuffed animals and all her books. Who wouldn't want to be sent there? So I told her to come out and sit at the end of the hallway, facing the wall. She would have to stay there for 3 minutes. Voila....instant naught spot. So there she sat, for three minutes. She didn't get up and try to go somewhere else, she just sat there. When the timer went off, I went and sat with her and explained again why she was there, she apologized, and we hugged. Then we got ready for dinner.

Since then, if we even raise our voice at her as a warning, she will either tell us she needs to go to the naughty spot or head down the hall and put herself in it. I'm not sure if it counts as punishment if you don't mind what you have to do when you're being punished.