Using time out

Putting your child into a safe 'time out' space can

• Remove them from a situation that is getting out of control.
• Help manage undesirable behaviour.

Time out works best for children over three years old. On time out, your child can cool down after an argument or tantrum, or think about their poor behaviour.

Choose a place in your house where your child is safe and easy to monitor: such as a chair in the corner of the dining room, a hallway, or their bedroom.

Helpful tips

• Explain what you are doing – what time out means and how it will work.
• Be firm, consistent and calm.
• If your child misbehaves warn them that if they don't stop, you will use time out. If they don't stop, send them to time out and tell them why.
• Don't shout, hit, threaten or lock them in. After a while they'll learn what to do.
• Time out should be for a set time. One minute for each year of their age is a good rule. Tell your child how long the time out will be for.
• Time out may not work straight away but it's important to keep trying.
• After the time out it may be helpful to talk to your child about what happened and what they could do differently next time. Try to focus on the positive instead of the bad behaviour.
• Make sure you also praise your child for behaving well.