Mama time out

Monday I took my first Mama time out. I had heard of this from other moms of multiples and wasn't sure when or how they did it, but I was feeling grumpy and a little stressed and impatient with the perpetual fighting amongst themselves for toys that morning. So I announced, amid yelling and whining, that Mama was taking a time out. I can't imagine anything else I could have done or said to silence and still the boys like that statement did. I didn't even know what to do. At first I thought I would go to the bathroom and shut the door, or go to my room and lay down, but their rapt attention caught me off guard. Their eyes got wide and they followed me, in unison on either side of me, to the rocking chair. I sat down and closed my eyes. They stood on either side of me, each with a hand on each of my knees, while I rocked for about 15 seconds. I opened my eyes, smiled, and said "Mama time out over!". They grinned and giggled and it was like the whole energy in the room had shifted. Lovely! I don't know if it will always work like that but it was pretty cool!