Did you/Do you put your kids in time out?

I just started this recently with my son, he's 1 1/2. He goes in for 30 seconds. I tell him what he did, like when he got into the fireplace the other day, and after it's done he gives me a hug. Most of the time he never does it again, and I count to three till I take him to the corner. Most of the time I get to two lol. Then he'll point at the thing he's not supposed to do and shake his head no. I think 6 months old is way too young-what on earth could a baby do to be disciplined? Oh, I started this because redirection was no longer working on him.

i sure do and i did with my older children too. i make my little girl sit on a chair for just two minutes and make her say sorry for what she did before she can get up. we give hugs and kisses

I don't have kids, but I babysit. The kids I watch go into timeout, as does my cat. He understands "timeout" I think.

I believe time out is the most effective method of punishment. I started using it for my grandkids when they were a year old. Obviously it was not for a great length of time at first, usually just getting them to a chair and making them sit still was as long as it would last. As they got older we started increasing the time, one minute for each year of age. As long as we are consistent in using this form of punishment it is effective. Even my 18 month old responds well to this, if she is misbehaving (say trying to climb over the back of the couch, or reaching up over head to grab something she can't see off the desk, counter or table) I tell her no. If she doesn't stop, I ask if she wants to go to time out. You can see the wheels in her little head turning, then she shakes her head and does what she is told. The important thing to remember is to be consistent, don't spank one time, yell another and then try time out. Another important thing is to find good things to compliment them on, you need to teach them right as much as you need to punish them for wrong.

My son is 15 months old, and we started time outs just this week. Redirection no longer works. And he's becoming defiant. Saturday I told him to stop pulling out all the movies out of the shelf. He told me no. I told him that we could only watch one at a time, so he should pick out one, he turned and looked at me, and pulled a bunch out and laughed. I tried moving him over to his own toys in a different corner, and he got up and went right back over to the movies. We decided then that he was old enough for time outs. He has to sit on the couch with no toys and no pets. We make him sit for about a minute to a minute and a half. I talk to him the whole time he's in time out, though. I tell him what he did wrong, and that he has to stop. It's starting to work. He hasn't touched any of the movies without asking first for the last two days! And that's what he had been in trouble for the most over the last week or two. When he can consistently count to 5 on his own (he's up to 4 all the time, sometimes even 5), we are going to try using a counting method, that rewards him for being good, instead of punishing him for being bad.

I started putting my kids in time out at about 2. Before then, they didn't understand the concept at all. My goodness, at 6 months old, they aren't even able to understand and communicate in english....what in the world is this parent thinking?!?!?! Time outs usually lasted the number of minutes that the child was in age...2 for 2 minutes, 3 for three minutes, etc. By the way, time out stops working (at least for my kids) at about six. Now I take away priviledges, like tv, playstation, park day etc.

I don't have children, but it is a very important part of the life for anyone. In the future, I'll be one or two, I think. In this time, I'll be more time to dedicate to him. However, sorry, today I don't have time.

I think this is a great thing to use for punishing them. I am all against spanking and such, but this for me is ok =) I think that the kid should be atleast a year and a half though so that he or she understands why--

i don't believe 6 months old will understand the time out part, i start putting my little boy on time out when he was 2 now he is 3 so he understand well that he going to sit on his naughty chair once he act up on me. and yeah, i still put my 10 years old stepson in time out too and it works very well.

Yes I did- and do- Not really time out per say anymore- But I send her to her room. That is the first thing I do when she is naughty after a warning- Then she loses privileges and then gets grounded. I think time out works well for some kids and not for others- Just depends on your child. I used time out instead of spanking- My daughter knew that when I raised my voice and when she was sent to time out she was in trouble- I think 6 months is way too young! Maybe 1 year- and then only for a minute- Then at 2 years 2 minutes and the same for all ages- At daycare if they get sent to time out- it is for their age- if they are sent twice in 1 day- it doubles their age and so on- My daughter has been sent once in a about 1 year!

I used to put my kids in Time Out when they were younger. I think they're a bit too old for that now. I started when they were about 2 years old, and continued till they reached around 5 which is when it seemed to stop having the same effect on them. Now I take away privileges such as TV, Computer and so on. It has more of an effect on them than Time Out, and even the threat of taking something away from them can be enough to stop them doing whatever it is they're not supposed to be.

At 6 months it's a little pointless, they're still learning whats right & not, i don't think it's a good idea that early. It's like someone elses discussion i read a little while back saying their mother in law wanted them to start potty training at 6 months - that's kind of pointless if the child cant actually get to the toilet to use it on his own anyway! Maybe around 3 would be a good age to start coz by then they know what's right & what's wrong & if they do something wrong, they will actually understand why they're being put in to time out. I probably wont use that method coz it doesn't seem to work for a lot of people, i'm not sure why but i might try something else.

That is so funny, I literaly just put my kids in timeout and then came on mylot to check out what the current dicussions are. Wow, how ironic! Yes I belive in timeout. I think once they are old enough to understand why they are being put in timeout then it will work. Yes six months is way to young. They are too young to understand why they are being put there. I started putting my kids in timeout when they were about 2 years old and for the most part it works. I think the key to making timeout work is the lenght of time you put them there. One minute for every year of age I thinks is very appropriate. My kids are age 3 and 4, so my 4 year old has to sit for 4 minutes and my 3 year old has to sit for 3 minutes. I also think as they get much older it is best to put them in a room where there is nothing for them to do so they can think about what they have done. Hope this helps!

There is no way a 6 month old should be put in time out. For what! Drinking milk? LOl, but seriously, I didn't start putting my kids in time out until they were three years old.

we have a naughty step and my two five and seven years old, will spend time sat on it simply to reconsider their thoughts and actions blessed be

I think time outs shouldn't start any earlier than 18 months, and on those rare occasions, it shoudl be more of a time out for the mother, so she can get her barings, then a time out for the child who will barely understand anything that's going on. I like to use the one minute per year rule. My 2 year old, has to sit for 2 minutes. He gets time out when he is whiney, being mean, or too aggressive. If he's pushing, hitting etc, he goes in time out. I use spanking for defiance, and time out for many other discipline needs. Many times, I think a nap can help, and maybe a snack. SOme kids just lose it when they have low blood sugar and are tired, (okay, adults too, you know the one's cussing you out in Walmart b/c you beat them to the cashier) (: I do agree, that it does not work for every child, just like spanking won't work for every child, nor will anything really. I think Parents need to be creative and think out punishments for reoccuring behavior and be consistent with it. I think the most important thing is to have a plan, on what the consequences will be before the "crime" occurs, that way your not on the spot, and reacting out of anger, or frustration.

I agree with you, every kid is different so we have to do different things with our kids!! Time-outs work for my daughter, but my son wouldn't sit still if I have him all the candy in the world! He is only two so I don't know what we are going to do with him!! I usually just have to spank him because nothing else works, he doesn't listen for anything, I will tell him no or to stop doing something and he will just smile and keep doing whatever it is!! Sometimes I will set him in his bed and tell him to calm down, and that seems to work too. I tell him to stay in bed until he can be nice or listen, whatever. And he will come out of his room a few minutes later being nice =)

I dont have children of my own yet But I did raise my cousin and my two siblings and a couple of my nephews. What works for me best is showing them the effects of their actions "works better if they are older" I would be a liberal parent one day I have had lots and lots of practice on it already. This entails me not doing what my parents did, not listening before we spank. In the Philippines minor spanking is still practiced to enforce who's boss in the house or situation. Not with a belt but with our palms or just the gesture sometimes work. But for the most part explaining to them what will happen is the best way and still keep their minds set on seeing us as their best friend not their worst enemy. Worked for me and my once hyper younger brother, he is now a gentle young man. Sometimes actively conversing with kids work better than chasing after them, if they feel you have their attention they wont do things to get to you...usually in a destructive way. Another thing is reverse psychology, in my native tongue, "Pang-uuto" this entails minor taunting in a sense giving the child the feel that if they do something which is bad they will be seen as stupid or as something to laugh about. This only works if the child is prone to doing deliberate things, this is like aversion therapy for smaller kids, the things the do bad hurts their ego...

I am a believer in time out. I always give a warning before putting my daughter in time out so that she knows what is coming if she doesn't stop misbehaving. It works in my home.