At what age do you start time-outs?

My 16 month old son does not listen and isn't intimidated when we yell at him. He takes things and hits our dog, smacks my face, pulls my hair, etc. and he laughs no matter how loud I yell at him. If I tried to put him somewhere and tell him to stay there for a minute or two, he wouldn't - hell just run away. I want to start disciplining him before its too late but don't know how to teach him right from wrong.

At what age do you start time-outs?

My daughter is 32 months old and we started time outs this past spring/summer. She was 28 months old and having a hard time listening, and hitting at times. We made a spot in her room and she is told to sit there for 2 min (1 min per age.) It was hard at first because she wouldn't stay or she would sit there and scream but she needed to learn hitting people was not ok.

Re: At what age do you start time-outs?

I think your kid is too young for time outs.

Take everything away when he uses it to throw, hit.

Firmly tell him "no".

Show him how to pet the dog gently, or keep the dog in another part of the house (sorry!).

Good news is, it's a phase & will go away.

Re: At what age do you start time-outs?

At what age do you start time-outs?

DD is 18 months and I still go with the ignore and distract idea. I try to pick my battles and really limit telling her no so that when I do say it, it's more meaningful. It's getting harder to distract her, but I can usually do it. If she does start to throw a tantrum I just ignore it but try to get her attention onto something else.

At what age do you start time-outs?

My DS is 22 Months and we started about 2 months ago.

Re: At what age do you start time-outs?

Around the age of your LO. Honestly, it worked for us and my DD figured out pretty quick that she hated time outs so it did help to correct her behavior. I will say though, she was always very laid back and easy going and rarely did she really misbehave. Maybe that's why it worked, because it was used so infrequently that it had a bigger impact. I don't know, but it did work with her at that young age.

Re: At what age do you start time-outs?

Around 2 I think.
They really don't work for us anyway.
She continues to do whatever it was she was put in time out for.

At what age do you start time-outs?

Yes and I was reading something yesterday that says when they act out like that its them trying to communicate and un met need or their impulses are taking over, something like that. And yelling just means they get a reaction out of you and will keep doing it. I don't know

Sometimes my 16 month old girl acts out with tantrums when she cant get her way but its usually because shes hungry or tired or overwhelmed.

I usually put her in a safe place to have a tantrum (shes started with banging her head) so I put her on the carpet. I don't yell at her when does it and then I walk away in an attempt to let her know shes not going to get my attention with that behavior. When she throws things I take them and put them away and tell her she cant play with it since she threw it. I again don't yell or react to it anymore.
Again it was just something I read that the more you yell the more it makes them want to do it...

Message edited 10/23/2013 1:29:57 PM.

Re: At what age do you start time-outs?

My DD is 14 months old and hitting. I just posted about it earlier today actually. I guess we started time outs. Because I ignore it at first or say NO and try to redirect her. But when she keeps hitting me repeatedly after that, we put her down somewhere safe and say that we are putting her down because she's hitting. Once she stops crying, which is usually fairly quick, we ask if she'll give us a hug and say sorry. Obviously she doesn't say sorry yet but we're just trying to have that dialogue anyway. She usually then stops hitting and does hug us but sometimes she keeps going and then we just kind of get frustrated and either leave her in the pack and play alone or put her to bed if its late or trade off to the other parent and see if maybe she won't hit them instead or find an activity to occupy her.