Time-outs: How to make them work (12 to 24 mo.) When your child acts up, the best way to nip the behavior in the bud is often to remove him from the activity at hand and give him a chance to calm down. This technique, known as a time-out, is an effective, nonviolent way to shape behavior. Here are the keys to a successful time-out: - Part 4 - Final Be flexible on the specifics With a toddler, your goal is simply to introduce the idea of an enforced break in the action. Such an interruption can be upsetting enough to your hard-charging, egocentric 2-year-old. Insisting that he sit in a certain place, in a certain way, for a certain length of time may be too much for him. Instead of marching him to a special chair, consider just having him sit still, right where he is. Go easy, too, in determining how long he needs to stay there. (Dont start following the commonly suggested one-minute-per-year rule until your child is at least 2.) Sitting just until he becomes calm is generally appropriate for a 12- to 24-month-old. And be willing to compromise a little if your child is experiencing a change in his normal routine. A house guest, holiday travel, or being in an unfamiliar environment will tax any toddler! Dont expect miracles As youve no doubt discovered, toddlers are notoriously active, willful, and unpredictable. Testing limits and gauging your reactions – over and over again – is your toddlers way of establishing a secure understanding of his world. Your child may repeatedly toss food off the table to establish that gravity continues to exist, for example. And she may repeat an action just to make sure its still not okay, with you, so consistency and patience are very important. No single disciplinary approach, including time-outs, will transform your toddler into an obedient angel. Youll want to experiment with a variety of discipline techniques throughout her toddlerhood – with a healthy balance of positive reinforcement for good behavior – to find out what works best for both of you. In fact, if your child is usually obedient, you may be lucky enough never to need a time-out. Requests and redirection may be sufficient. Or you may find that changing the pace to a quieter activity works well throughout your youngsters childhood. At every stage, learning which behaviors are normal (or unavoidable) keeps your expectations realistic. Social Monkey Sam #cheekymonkeys #dubaikids #dubaikidsplay
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 02:22:00 +0000
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