I was being dragged around IKEA by wife on Saturday

When I noticed she had put a beanbag and a string of fairy lights in the shopping trolley.

"What are those for?" I asked.

"For M's time-out corner."

Ah, the discreet alcove that our daughter occasionally spends short periods in reflecting on her behaviour and how best to respond to challenging situations . . not perhaps the highest priority for a home makeover.

"I thought they would make it look pretty." 😅

Actually that wasn't the daftest idea my wife had all afternoon and so the beanbag and lights made it home with us. At least they were easy to assemble.

Our daughter came home, saw the tastefully decorated corner, and was about to utter an oath that would have earned her a prolonged stay in it when she caught herself just in time.

Perhaps this was worthwhile after all, if daughter is so mortified by the idea of being sent to sit in a twinkly fairy grotto that she actually thinks before she speaks 🤣