What age do you start to put your dcks in time out?

[mommylove]

Just wondering what age you guys think is an appropriate age to start putting kids in time out?

[DisneyPrincess]

I had my 18 months old in timeouts for pulling and pushing. Of course they will probably re-do it 5 seconds later, they do understand when I sit them int the ''zone'' they are in trouble. But they dont stay there for long. At 2 y.o. its the min. per age rule that starts...

[momofnerds]

I start them early too. I've had one yr olds who would scream all day and redirecting them wouldn't work. So I would sit them on my mat (which is large) and they did learn that if they wanted to scream nonstop they got to sit there till they stopped. Yes its early but I don't put kids in high chairs or play pens when they are out of control. I don't want children to associate high chairs and playpens for things they did wrong. They are used for eating and sleeping. I've always done this with my own kids when they were little and it has worked great. Kids do learn quickly, it just has to be consistant.

[monkeymama]

between 18months-2years, depending on child.

[playfelt]

Don't use time out specifically but will take a child and put them in an area where they have to play alone with only the things I allow and have to earn the privilege of playing with the rest of the group or a specific toy. Start that right as they join the daycare at a year. Some toys are for chewing and others are not so it starts there. You want to chew you play over here with chewable toys. The rule is simple for older kids if we can't play nicely with our friends we don't get to play with them. I refuse to get into power struggles and for many that is all time out does is cause issues. I just make their lives miserable till they choose to cooperate, lol.

[sunnydays]

Playfelt, I like your strategy. Do you have an area actually sectioned off so that they cannot move out of that area or do you just keep putting them back there until they learn to stay? I would like to start using this strategy when the need arises, but would need to find a way to section an area off as it is all one wide-open space.

[playfelt]

It is sort of the idea of redirection which parents are told to use rather than say no but I use the no and why and that until they play nicely they have to play alone then move them to another centre - it could be in front of the barn and animals or to the books or on the couch or table with puzzles. They have to play alone. And if another child goes to where they are then I say no child XXX needs some time to play alone. He wasn't playing like a nice friend. Then as the child tires of the area and starts looking around - what it does is help them gain their composure while giving their hands and mind something constructive to do - I tell them they may go and ask if they may play too - in other words can't just go and take over an activity.

We have that rule that some centres are group and some are alone if the child wants it to be alone but can also be shared if they want such as some of the fisherprice type sets.

[playfelt]

For babies/toddlers I do have a play yard I can put up that they get put in if they can't follow the big kids rules ie no chewing on toys other than baby toys as it isn't fair for the other kids to pick up a toy that has goober on it or for there to be teeth marks on everything.