Life in Two Minute Increments

Having twins has its perks.  But it also has its drawbacks.  Apparently today is I-want-what-you-have day, as it has been filled with a series of tug-of-wars over certain toys.  All. Day. Long.  My solution?  The timer, set for two minutes and mandated sharing.  Why two minutes?  Because that’s about the maximum amount of time I can tolerate the crying and screaming that ensues when the desire to play with a toy overwhelms their senses.  That, and it’s just enough time for a three year old’s attention span to wear off.

And when the timer doesn’t work, time out does.  Which also lasts about two minutes.  And since most of our day seems to be comprised of timers and time outs, it’s being lived in increments of two minutes at a time.  And it keeps me from losing it...I can keep my cool through two minutes much easier than I can get through two hours.  Today is one of those days where trying to teach my kids patience and perspective reminds me to do the same.