time outs for 15 mos old?

Karla and Alex

Anyone tried putting LO in time out? If so, how? At this age, do LOs even understand what you're saying/ doing?   

I'm reading 123 Magic Discipline and they strongly recommend time outs. Also DD has been having more and more meltdowns so I'm trying to find a suitable method for handling them before they become out of control.

DEBBIE33CASEY

We started timeouts at approx 19 months. It really didn't start working for us until 22 months.  Now, at 23 months, DD actually told me why she was in timeout after she'd been put there and had to be in it for a couple minutes.

Me:Do you know why you're in timeout?

DD: Ashlyn throw food off chair.

 

It amazes me.  Not to say she won't ever do it again, but it stops the behavior for the time being.

Tabby2727

My babysitter has 3 older children (29-33) and 2 younger ones that she adopted (6 & 2).  She said if you want them to listen and their doing something bad or you want to break them of it, put them in the corner.  You only have to do it for a minute per age (1 year - 1 min; 2 years old 2 minutes; 3 years old 3 minutes; etc).  It only took a handful of times but it worked for us (they do it on that super nanny show all the time too). I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for the advise but you don't have to listen if you don't want to.

I just take Hannah by the hand and tell her stand there and when she's done she can come out.  She stops crying about 3-5 seconds later, takes a couple of deep breaths (I tell her to) and the walks over to me.  I don't make her stand there for a full minute, only until she's done.  Some people do.  You can do a chair too if she doesn't stay, but I haven't had to.  Her first timeout wasn't until 18 months I would say (hitting her cousin).  I don't put her in it often, but she knows what it means.

farrellashleigh

we've been doing it since he was a year old and I thought it was pointless but I was at my wits end and had no idea what else to do with his new found "attitude" not listening. So I put him at the end of the hallway and walked a few feet away and stood with my back to him. I let him sit there for about a minute and much to my surprise he SAT there! After I picked him up and brought him into the living room and showed him the tv and said "this is a NO-NO!" to reinforce why he was in time out (he was whacking it) and that was the end of it.

Now did he actually comprehend what I was saying?? Probably not exactly but I definitely know he understood that mommy didn't like whatever he was doing, which is all you can hope for at this age I think. Shortly after this he was doing something else that I said "NO!" and he immediately walked to the end of the hallway and sat down... put himself in time out ha, I had to laugh.

But yes we do this when he is just persistently not listening when we tell him no... I figure you have to start somewhere?

nealbl

I tried timeouts and she didn't really get it.

Our Parents as Teachers rep told us that 18months is the best time to start that and even then it is a little early

m0132

We just started time outs at 19 months.  DD has been hitting out of frustration lately and I wanted to address that asap.  We have a designated corner by our front door that she is placed in and I turn off the tv so she can't hear it or try to watch it.  I tell her she is going in time out for hitting and I usually only keep her there for 1 min or 1.5 mins and then go get her.  When I get her I tell her we don't hit because it hurts people and she needs to show mommy how to be gentle, and she will get up, give me a hug and kiss and say sorry.  It only took two times of being there for her to know that she needs to give hugs and kisses afterwards and say sorry..and it only took one time of getting out of her spot and me putting her back and starting her time over again for her to learn to stay there until I say she can come out.  The first time she cried bad and I felt horrible but seeing how she is already learning from it and doesn't cry so much anymore is making me feel better about it.

12bailey18

Knowing my LO at almost 15 months, he would not understand timeouts. Not sure if I will do time outs at all but if I do it will be much later than now.

MsAlyss

I'm reading 123 Magic too...and so far I really like it. It's taught me a lot about myself

T is 17 months, and when I get to 3 I say "that's 3, take a break" and pick him up and put him in the time out spot (on the rug by our back door).  He doesn't stay there, and I don't force it.  But I just sit him down, turn & walk away.  No talking, no emotion.

And I don't bring it up again.  Before 123 I would go over & talk to him about what he did and why it was bad, blah blah blah, but now I just drop it like the book says. 

Karla and Alex

MsAlyss:

I'm reading 123 Magic too...and so far I really like it. It's taught me a lot about myself

T is 17 months, and when I get to 3 I say "that's 3, take a break" and pick him up and put him in the time out spot (on the rug by our back door).  He doesn't stay there, and I don't force it.  But I just sit him down, turn & walk away.  No talking, no emotion.

And I don't bring it up again.  Before 123 I would go over & talk to him about what he did and why it was bad, blah blah blah, but now I just drop it like the book says. 

 

haha I totally felt the same way, i have to keep reminding myself not to speak to her like an adult. lol but I really don't see her sitting in time out, I will start the counting soon, just to see how effective it is.