How to Give Children a Time-Out
How to discipline children is an important decision for parents to make. Giving children a time-out is an effective strategy that allows the child to take some time to sit and think about the mistake that he or she made.
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Instructions
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Set up a defined time out area for your child. The area should be a specific location within a room, such as the brown chair in the living room corner. Make the location in a spot where you can monitor the child during the time-out.
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Place a timer in the time-out area. When your child is sent to time-out, have your child set the timer for the amount of minutes that he must remain in time-out. A general guideline is to make the time-out last a minute for each year of the child's age. For example, give a 5-year-old a 5-minute time-out.
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Send your child to the time-out area as soon as she does something improper. Explain why she is having a time-out using short phrases that a child can understand, such as "No biting." Simple phrases let children form a connection between their negative behavior and their punishment of time-out.
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Wait for the timer to go off, signaling the end of time out. Then tell the child that his time-out is over and he can be excused from the time-out area.
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Repeat the time-out process as needed to correct misbehaviors.
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Tips & Warnings
When a time-out is over, don't discuss the behavior that sent the child there. Simply refocus the child's attention on a new task.
