6 Top Time-Out Tricks

Staring down a little face in a foul mood?

Whether they’re tired, wired, frustrated, hungry or coming down with the sniffles, kids have all sorts of reasons to throw a (perfectly normal) tantrum.

Short of catching the next plane to Maui, the best way to keep the peace is with a well-timed time out.

Follow our 6 top time-out tricks from the experts.

1. How young can you start? Read the answer, plus other great time-out techniques from parenting guru Dr. Sears.

2. What do you do if your little perpetrator won’t stay put? Let him think about it for a minute or two. Still no cooperation? Put a prized possession in lock-up until at least the next day.  Read the full game-plan here.

3. How long should time out last? The rule of thumb is one minute per age (two minutes for a two-year-old, four minutes for a four-year-old, etc.) But don’t start the timer until the fussing stops. Read more advice from the American Academy of  Pediatrics here.

4. Call a time out and your grade-schooler laughs? Put on your poker face and try these tricks for older kids.

5. Add a dose of good humor with this time-out hour-glass stool or this personalized chair with a built-in timer.

6. Or make your own time-out timer with a magical mix of glue, water and glitter. (It takes exactly five minutes to settle – just like your five-year-old.)

Categories: Blog

This post was written by Liz Davis