Time Outs - Why or Why don't they work?

I think time outs work if they are used consistantly. It looks like that's how you have used them. That's great that your daughter has learned that time out can be a cool off and think about it time.

Yes, to the 1 minute per year of age. I do think the only way time out works is if it is consistant. I went noticed the picture.I had to go rate it with a positive since he was sitting so nicely for his time out

LOL My husband is known for making my children hold hands when they keep fighting. If they argue and won't stop, we say do you want to hold hands? NO! Of course they don't want to hold hands at someone they are mad at. ha ha When my older children were young and would fight because they couldn't keep their hands to theirselves in the van, I had a different version. If I heard the arguement that so and so is touching me or whatever and the other one kept denying it, yet the arguement continued, they learned what my response would be. I would tell them I couldn't drive safe and look at them,and they didn't seem to know how to control their hands, so they had to put their hands way up in the air so I could see them in the rearview mirror. They felt silly going down the road with their hands raised up over their heads, especially if we were at a stoplight and someone in the car next to us started looking at them.Now mind you, I only made them hold their hands up for about a minute, but that was enough. I usually got a quick, "I'm sorry.We'll keep our hands to ourself." You know, my oldest daughter has 4 children and I've heard her use the "I'll make you put your hands up where I can see them" to divert arguements. She has told me that she remembers having to do that a couple of times and she said she felt like a goofball. She said she learned my point quickly that's why she quit fighting in the van.

I think time outs work well. I was told to do this by our family dr when my daughter was little. You put them in time out for the same amount of minutes as their age ex: 5 years old - 5 minutes. The only other method I use is grounding her from things that she loves, like tv, or outside play, or something thats gonna make her want to behave because she knows if not, she wont be able to do it for a couple of days.