How/When to start timeouts?

SumnerBride

DD is 2 at the end of the month, and is very much in need of having timeouts now I think.  But, I'm not sure how or where to begin.  I have a feeling that if I set her in a corner, or on a "naughty" rug for 2 minutes, she'd look at me like I was crazy, and just keep getting up for the entire time. 

I know discipline is important, and I don't want her to be a spoiled brat, but can they really understand what a timeout is for at the age of 2?

kellygirl0515

My pedi told me I could start DS on timeouts when he was 14 mons old.  Although they don't understand what's going on they can get the concept that they did something wrong.  I use DS's rug in his room.  He goes there for 2 mins when he does something worng.  After his time is up I call him over and explain to him why he was in there and he'll then give me a hug and kiss (kinda like a sorry)  So far he's done pretty good w/ it.  Normally he only gets time out at home - somehow he's an angel for my inlaws ha!ha!  Unless they don't give me the whole story ha!  GL  Kel

mrscolleton2b

Have you ever seen jon and kate plus 8? They have a rug that says time out. I loved that idea, so we got one...well we bought a rug and wrote time out on it because I couldn't find one that already said it on it. Anyways, it is in the same corner and now when any DS is told to go to timeout they go sit there and cry and pout and do whatever they need to. Everytime DS used to get up, I just put him right back.

1 min. per year is what I have heard, and what I have been going with.

REOM

Oh, Gina understands, 100%.  In fact, if she does something she knows she is not supposed to, like hitting, she will hang her head and walk over to the step where we put her in time out.  We always tell her why she was in time out and she apologizes before she is done.

reynah

Caleb goes in the corner until he stops crying. The first couple of times we had to physically hold him in the corner with him kicking and screaming until he stopped. We kept telling him he will be able to get out once he stops acting like that. Now, when I tell him to go in the corner he goes and crys. He cannot come out until he stops. We started long before he was 2.

Isabella T.

Here is a great resource!

https://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=1002

HTH