The art of regression

I have been using the timeout or the, "please go to your room and think about what you have done while you play with your toys," technique for the better part of my daughter's life, as a form of punishment. While I could estimate that my success rate is better than 50 percent, there are some weird results that emerge. The weird results include some that look like me spending time in my bedroom scratching my head after a yelling match with my daughter. "Go sit in your bedroom, you're on timeout," she said. "Wait a minute, what the hell just happened," I said. Time and time again, roles interchange, child waves finger at parent. To be fair, it is a game we play, but the game turns from real-world discipline to play-world head scratching. But still, I have unknowingly mastered the art of regression. Sigmund Freud defined regression as a defense mechanism leading to the temporary reversion to an earlier stage of development. Rather than handling impulses in a adult way I revert to attacking them in a childish way. It may be my own immaturity and the realization that I am still working at becoming a better father.

Really, the art of regression makes me realize how much I learn from my daughter day in and day out. She is so much smarter then I give her credit for and she is more than anything helping to make me a more mature person, in a way.

So, considering my experiences, I have derived a theory that I have coined the art of regression theory, hence the blog title. Now, this theory is NOT a conclusion of any kind of scientific evidence, moral or ethical theory or any significant findings but rather my suspicions and rather odd mindset. The art of regression theory gives all the credit to the child and states that children knowingly push their parents toward a state of to obtain what they want. Now, don't ask me how they do this (no evidence remember) but regression is now a defense mechanism as well as an art mastered by children to conquer the world... of parents. Now that I have proven my theory, test it out, and see what happens the next time you attempt to discipline your child.