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| Written By Mark Rockwell, President of Rockton Software |
One favorite and effective parenting tool Kelli and I use is a stern "three, two, one" countdown when something needs correcting from one of our children. In the rare case we hit "one" a consequence, often a timeout, is required. I recall when Erika was 3 (she's 5 now, and is our youngest of four) that she was meddling with something, and I firmly gave a correction and started with "Three!" in my countdown ploy. Quick as a whip, she looked right up at me as sassed back "Two! One! You're in timeout Daddy!" I was so caught off guard that I couldn't recover from doubling over in laughter, as did the whole family. Score: Child 1, Parent 0.
When my kids do get sent to their rooms for a timeout, it's pretty amazing what a few minutes can do to recover us all to normalcy. I marvel at what children can teach me about the importance of a little time away to gain perspective. I personally can get tied up in my own work, oblivious to the need to take a break. Oddly, when I don't rest or take some time away from work, I do get grumpy, and often I'm the one who needs a timeout.
One of our annual traditions with Rockton is our company summer retreat. This year we'll all meet together in Ontario, Canada for some time away from the office. A time to connect together as a team, to celebrate our accomplishments, to revel in each other’s company, to laugh, to plan, and to grow toward the future. I'm thankful it's on the calendar and it is one of the greatest joys of working with such a talented team at Rockton.
So timeouts come in many forms, but they all serve a similar purpose - to ground and center us. Is it time for you to take a time out somewhere? Three... Two...
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