Okay, I need some input from all you experienced mamas out there. I'm posing a question without telling you which side of it I fall on, hoping to get some unbiased opinions here.
True or false? A 16-month old child is not too young to be disciplined using time-outs for infractions like hitting or throwing food on the floor.
Please discuss. I'll let you know what brought it up in a day or 2.
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6 comments:
Not too young. I started Isaac with timeouts (for 1 minute) at 12 months. He was absolutely wild, and time outs were the only thing that would control him. Sometimes we'd count together, too, until he got himself under control. Vivian was a different breed altogether, and I never really had a need for discipline with her until almost 2.
16 months is not too young. You just have to make sure they have the capability to put together that hitting(or whatever,) means time out. spitting was one that I dealt with with my oldest son, he's 15 now but I'm tellin' you that he used to walk in somewhere and spit like he was marking his territory. With my next oldest son timeout did absolutely nothing until he hit about 8 or 9. I think it depends on the kid.
I cannot imagine that having worked with Miss K at that age. Most of the stuff I've read says that it doesn't work as a learning tool (i.e. if I misbehave I am punished) until they're at least 3. I think POW is probably right that it could be used to calm someone down, but Miss K is 21 months and I still don't think she's got a real clear sense of cause and effect, so I don't even try that now. If she throws food, I take her out of the high chair. If she hits, I tell her no hits, and I move away from her if she keeps hitting. That usually causes a fit, which then allows her to get it out of her system and move on.
You sort of have to figure out what works with your own kid! Time-outs work great for some and not for others! And (dare I say it here?) a swat on the hand or behind (although 16 months is pretty young for that) when warrented is just the ticket. Sometimes just diverting their attention to something else works better when they are little guys!!
At that age, I am not sure they quite understand, but I would put my lil' one in his high chair, out in the middle of the kitchen. He couldn't reach anything and couldn't get out... probably scarred for life!
I think my rabbit wouldn't have quite understood time-outs at 16-months-old. But there were occasions when she was deposited in her crib (mostly for me to calm down/clean up/etc..) Or told "no" firmly while looking in her eyes and holding her hands.
I agree with the previous moms -- I think it really depends on the child.
Even at 3 years and 8 months, we use time-outs, but sparingly. She HATES them and just saying that if she does something again, she's going to get a time-out, is often enough.
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