How To Effectively Use Time-Out To Correct Your Child’s Bad Behavior

If you’re one parent who has been researching on the topic of rectifying their children’s behavior problems, then you may probably have come across the time-out method of behavior correction.

Time out is the latest and the most positive method of changing your child’s behavior, without resorting to punishments. And if you’re not sure how to go about it, here is a small procedural guide that will prove to be of great assistance in practicing Time-out.

When and how to use Time-out

Whenever your child does something that is not acceptable to you, you can use Time-out to replace your child’s bad behavior with the desired behavior. To start off, try this approach only to correct one or two of the major behavioral problems that your child has. And only when your child begins understanding the implications of time out, should you think about expanding the list of your child’s behavioral problems that need to be addressed.

Basically, there are just three types of behavior problems that are seen in children. Firstly they may do something that can be dangerous to their own self or to others around them, secondly they may act stubborn and defy all your rules and thirdly they may act bothersome or even obnoxious at times. It doesn’t matter, in which category your child’s behavioral problem lies, because time-out can be used successfully in almost all types of behavioral problems.

The procedure is fairly simple, and all you need to do is to place your child in time-out, whenever he displays problematic behavior. Now, the key to making the whole affair successful is being consistent, i.e. you need to be fairly observant to notice when your child is portraying the problematic behavior so that you can immediately put him in the time-out zone. Before you put your child in the time-out discipline method, tell your child what he or she has done wrong, however don’t get into long reasoning or explanations.

While a child is in the timeout zone, you need to make him sit or stand still and not fiddle with things around him. Initially, most children begin throwing tantrums when they’re kept in the timeout, but you must pay no attention to what the child is saying. Also, you must not end up threatening or spanking the child.

You need to pretend that you cannot even notice your child, till the child has calmed down.  At this time you need to ask your child whether he is willing to leave his bad habit and is willing to promise that this misbehavior will not be repeated.

And until and unless your child consents in the affirmative, without giving you scornful looks or throwing any tantrums, you should not allow the child to get out of time-out. And lastly, close the issue then and there and do not discuss anything about the entire episode with your child, afterwards.