Time is On My Side

I learned a new parenting trick recently.  It is one of those tricks that I'm sure many of you have already been smart enough to figure out, but it was groundbreaking for me and has been so helpful.  

I was at the playground recently and noticed another mom with her older children.  Suddenly, I heard that mom's phone ring.  She immediately held it up, called to her two boys, and said, "Ok guys, it's 3:30!  Time to go pick up your sister!"  They both stopped playing, ran to her, and they all proceeded to leave together without protest.  

I watched in awe.  

Setting your cell phone alarm for the time when you need to leave and then letting your phone be the bad guy, deferring any frustration away from you?  Genius!  Life with small children is all about choosing your battles, and I am totally fine with allowing a piece of technology win the occasional battle on my behalf.

Right then, I tried it.  Setting my alarm for 4:00, I called Riggins over to me and showed him my phone.  I told him that when the bell on Mommy's phone rang that it would be time to go bye-bye.  I even dubbed it the "Bye-Bye Bell."  He was free to play, but when it was about ten minutes until four I started giving him reminders every few minutes: "Riggins, when the bye bye bell rings it will be time to leave the playground and go home!"  "Riggins, just a few more minutes until the bye-bye bell!"  

When it rang, I held up the phone and announced to Riggs that the bye-bye bell was ringing.  I let it ring long enough to be sure that he actually heard the ring.  Then I started saying bye bye to everything at the playground as we usually do, and he immediately joined me in the farewells and followed me out of the playground without a fuss!  

I have used the "Bye Bye Bell" several times since then and it always works like a charm!  It is also good for me to avoid losing track of time and staying out too long (You know, so long that both kids fall asleep on the way home and then won't go back down when you get home?  Yeah, hate it when that happens!).  Just this morning we got to the zoo at 10 and I immediately set my alarm for 11:30.  We got home and fed just in time for both boys to go down without a fight.  

I'm sure I'll be finding lots of new ways to use my timer now that I know how well my child responds to it.  Do you have any tricks like that to share?  

(P.S. Regarding the title of this post... does anyone else immediately think of that creepy Denzel Washington movie "Fallen" when you hear that song?  You know, the one with the demon-possessed serial killer?  Haven't seen the film in years, and yet I still think of it and get freaked out every time I hear that song!)