Time out is a technique for children ages three to 12 when they are noisy, fighting, or doing something so annoying that you can't ignore it. It is a way of correcting behavior by placing a misbehaving child in a quiet place alone for a few minutes and then talking about the problem. In order for time out to work, a child must be able to understand the ideas of being quiet and waiting. This usually doesn't happen until a child is close to three years old.

Time out has advantages and disadvantages. Here are some advantages:

It's a good way to stop disruptive behavior. It creates a physical distance between the child and the problem. It gives everyone a chance to calm down.

But there are also disadvantages of using time out. Children may resist staying quiet until they learn the rules. Time out is easy to overuse--it doesn't work as well when used too much. Finally, it is easy to misuse time out as a punishment or as a way to simply get a child out of your hair.

Time out should not be used as a punishment or as a way to threaten, humiliate, or frighten children. It is a cooling off period followed by a chance to talk about the behavior. And keep in mind, parents and caregivers can take a time out, too. When things get too intense for both you and your child, remove yourself from the situation.

When deciding where to put the child for time out, it's a good idea that younger children be kept within your sight. They may need to sit next to you. Older children should go to an area that is well lit, free from dangerous things, and boring. It should be far enough away so the child can't provoke others, but close enough so the child knows what she is missing.

The younger the child, the shorter the time out. A good rule is one minute for every year of the child's age. Research indicates four- to six-yearolds who are told to remain on time out until they are calm and have thought about how to solve the problem are more likely to change their future behavior than children on time out for a set amount of time.

When time out is over, be sure to talk about why the child was on time out, and how you expect him to behave now and in the future. It's important for a child to return to the situation and correct his behavior. Finally, praise the child when he then behaves the way you want him to.

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