Question
My four year old son is having a very difficult time listening to adults and doing what we say. About three weeks ago we started having him go to his room right after dinner because he was not listening. We told him that he would have to go to his room every night for the next 30 days. The last week or so he has started fighting being in his room because he doesn't want to be in there anymore. We have explained to him that he will be able to come out of his room when he starts listening to us and stops saying "No" to us. He now opens the door and will yell from the door or from the hallway that he doesn't want to be in his room anymore. We have ignored these pleads, but our youngest son then goes over to him and starts playing with him in his room. We have tried closing the door and holding it closed until he has a tantrum and "gives up", but it usually doesn't last very long. The other morning I got so frustrated with him that he was not staying in his room, that I spanked him, but he still didn't stay in his room. I am at a loss of what to do next because he is just not listening to us. By the way, when we tell him he has to go to his room and stay there, we are delivering it in a clear and calm manner. Do we continue to stay the course or is there anything else that we can do? Thanks.
