How to Discipline Your Child

The time out method can be applied to impose discipline on children, including the very young ones, say aged 1 and a half to 2 years old. The method works, with the parents not showing anger or irritation towards the misbehaving child, by leaving him quietly in one place, alone.

The time out method requires you to designate an appropriate place in your house where your child can be left in isolation and away from interactions with the other members of the household. It may be a space on your kitchen floor, a chair customized for time outs, or a bedroom corner. This must be a permanent spot in the house.

How long should a time out be? The norm is one minute corresponding to every year of the child’s age. This means, for example, two minutes for a two-year-old child. You may use a timer to mete your child’s punishment time. For toddlers, time outs will allow them to calm down and regroup, so to speak. But it may be hard for them to remain still during the whole time-out duration, parents may therefore not force them to fully serve their time.

The process begins by telling your child in a nice but firm tone of your voice what you want him to do, say to finish carrying out a task or to cease from misbehaving. If your words created no effect and your child’s disputed behavior persists, you will need to talk him out of it a second time, this time sending your message in a more serious context, eye contact locked between the two of you, and the grim prospect of the time out area suggested. If your child continues to ignore your advice, this will be the right time for you to escort him to the time out area with clear explanations of why he deserves the punishment. Be calm and patient all throughout this drama-laden episode of your lives. Maintain your firm but calm voice.

Talk to your child once more in a re-assuring voice after he has served quietly his time. Be clear in explaining to him why he got sent to the time out spot. Firmly caution him that any future infraction will mean another trip to the time out area. When advising a relatively older child, get him to commit to agree on what is it that you exactly want him to do or what mischief you want to keep him from. If your child leaves the time out spot before completing the allocated time, be firm in meting out to him the corresponding penalties.

Refine the processes of the time out method according to your experiences, the temperament and psycho-social make up of your child, and your own way of parenting. But through all of this, never forget to apply doses of positive reinforcement. Arm yourself with hugs, smiles and praises and be ready to use them whenever appropriate. Also, use the time out method wherever the need for it may arise. If your child misbehaves in parks, churches or grocery stores, by all means take him to a makeshift time out spot. The point is consistency. This way your child will not get your messages mixed up.