#Time out chair how to#

If he plays quietly beside the crib or amuses his sister without doing anything dangerous, praise him for his good behavior. When time-out is over, get your child and explain the rule again (“We don’t climb into the crib.”) Then get your toddler involved in another activity. If your child tries to leave the time-out space, put him back without talking.

Leave your toddler in his time-out space for the designated time. Set a kitchen timer or the alarm on your phone. If he continues the behavior, calmly say, “You have to go into a time-out because you climbed into the crib.” That’s it. So if you catch your toddler breaking a rule - trying to climb into his sister’s crib, for instance - say, “If you don’t stop climbing into the crib, you’ll get a time-out.” You don’t want to swoop and give a time-out without a heads-up. But there are certain steps that are central to all time-outs for toddlers, no matter where you put your tiny rule-breaker: There’s more than one way to give a time-out - you can have a designated time-out space or vary the location.

#Time out chair how to#

Here’s how to use time-outs for toddlers wisely. Time-outs can be overused and they’re not right for every child, so they shouldn’t be the only tool in your toddler discipline toolkit. This short breather gives your toddler time to regain control of his feelings and sends a message that you don’t tolerate bad behavior. The key is to think of a time-out not as a punishment, but as a brief (emphasis on brief!) break from a negative situation.