Time Out City

New stuff is happening - James hit me!  He has hit people before. He has gotten slap-happy and smacked people. He has intentionally hit.  But this time? He hit his Occupational Therapist.  Later, the very same afternoon, he was reprimanded for hitting his father.   I thought he understood, as he became very sad.  He came over to me - with big puss on his face - and put out his arms.  He hugged me, looked up, smiled, and then pulled back and hit me!  WOW.  Time out time.  Has to go in and sit or lay on his bed.  Now this might not seem like a punishment, but it is in our house.  At night, James sleeps in our adult room while during the day, plays in his "his" room (where we sleep).  Bizarre set-up but the odd arrangements facilitated something called SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT.  I do not mess with success regardless of how unusual it might be!  Therefore, having to stay in the sleeping room, while we are in the living room, invoked tears and whines.  James "got it" that time.
The next weekend, James was super-stimmy.  David attempted to break it up and engage him in something new.  James would have none of it and smacked his dad.  This time, immediate verbal reprimand and straight into time out.  James: our home is a zero tolerance zone when it comes to physical or verbal abuse! He understood.  Undoubtedly and unfortunately - mixed in with a speck of pride in having our kid show clear intention - we will see it again.