Fairly recently we started using the time-out method for Liam when he’s refusing to follow directions. Usually this occurs after we ask him to do something that he’s done a thousand times before and he completely refuses to comply after being asked multiple times. It consists of putting him on the floor in his room and closing the door for around 60 seconds, during which time he sobs and screams, followed by a hug and very simply telling him why he was there. Lately, just the threat of a time out is enough to help him along in the following-directions arena. This has coincided with his ability to reach and turn doorknobs (which seems unrelated, but bear with me). He can close them nicely, but still has trouble with the opening (which is exacerbated by the child-safety doorknob covers I have on certain doors that I’d rather he not be able to open at all right now, including the inside of his bedroom door). Last night while Matt was on the phone, Liam was playing a game of hide-and-seek with Matt from behind his bedroom door. The difference in this game from all the other times was that Liam (laughing heartily) would pull his door closed — but the second that it shut he began sobbing. The first time Matt opened the door really quickly, thinking that he might have hurt himself in some way. But as soon as Liam realized that the door was open he stopped crying and began laughing. The problem was that he then repeatedly shut the door (while laughing) and promptly began sobbing as soon as it was shut. Matt opened the door for him at least five times before he finally removed the kid from his room beacause the bawling was such that he wasn’t easily calmed. My theory is that in his mind he was putting himself in time-out. Being a toddler can be so confusing!