Time-out: An Introduction
Rhianna Suttie-Gunson
January 18, 2008
Time-out is a very effective method of discipline for many parents. For others it is nothing more than a means of escape from the real matter at hand.
Essentially the time-out method is just as the name suggests, it gives the child 'time-out' from a certain situation or behavior. Generally this involves the child being made to sit/stand in a predesignated area for a set amount of time.
Some parents choose to have a special mat or small rug for time-out. Others have a chair or a particular area of the room or house. Older children may even be sent to their room for their time-out period.
Using time-out is an effective method of discipline as it allows both parent and child the opportunity to 'catch their breath' so to speak. It allows the parent to regain control of the situation and if necessary their temper!
While the length of time given may vary between parents, there are some recommendations.
The biggest factor in determining how long a child should be left in time-out for is age. It may be tempting to base the time on the severity of the inappropriate behavior, but this is not effective or beneficial for young children.
Time-out as a method of discipline may be used from as early as 18 months. It is important to be aware though that children of this age have a very short attention span and no concept of time. What may only be two minutes to us may actually feel like ten to them.
The intention of time-out is to make the child realize that they have done something wrong and unacceptable. It is providing them with an opportunity to reflect on the incident and think how they can make a different choice next time.
Of course a two year old has not really learnt to much about reflecting on things so to long in time-out is pointless and more likely to cause further problems. As a result it is recommended that the time given for a time-out be based on age.
A two year would get two minutes. A ten year old would get ten minutes and so forth. There is the added benefit of having set consequences for inappropriate behavior. Discipline works best when there are firm boundaries and consequences for when those boundaries get pushed to far or broken.
Consistency is also an important aspect of effectively using this method of discipline. There is no point having the threat of time-out if you never use it or if one day time-out is given and the next it is not.
Essentially the time-out method is just as the name suggests, it gives the child 'time-out' from a certain situation or behavior. Generally this involves the child being made to sit/stand in a predesignated area for a set amount of time.
Some parents choose to have a special mat or small rug for time-out. Others have a chair or a particular area of the room or house. Older children may even be sent to their room for their time-out period.
Using time-out is an effective method of discipline as it allows both parent and child the opportunity to 'catch their breath' so to speak. It allows the parent to regain control of the situation and if necessary their temper!
While the length of time given may vary between parents, there are some recommendations.
The biggest factor in determining how long a child should be left in time-out for is age. It may be tempting to base the time on the severity of the inappropriate behavior, but this is not effective or beneficial for young children.
Time-out as a method of discipline may be used from as early as 18 months. It is important to be aware though that children of this age have a very short attention span and no concept of time. What may only be two minutes to us may actually feel like ten to them.
The intention of time-out is to make the child realize that they have done something wrong and unacceptable. It is providing them with an opportunity to reflect on the incident and think how they can make a different choice next time.
Of course a two year old has not really learnt to much about reflecting on things so to long in time-out is pointless and more likely to cause further problems. As a result it is recommended that the time given for a time-out be based on age.
A two year would get two minutes. A ten year old would get ten minutes and so forth. There is the added benefit of having set consequences for inappropriate behavior. Discipline works best when there are firm boundaries and consequences for when those boundaries get pushed to far or broken.
Consistency is also an important aspect of effectively using this method of discipline. There is no point having the threat of time-out if you never use it or if one day time-out is given and the next it is not.
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