I would love to think that time-outs were the ideal disciplining method to curb unruly behavior and bad attitudes, but sometimes they are not. They are a good first method to try and hopefully it will work. It does not harm the child physically. It is also not too harmful regarding their self-esteem. Once the time-out is over and done the previous activity can resume.
I tried time-outs many times. I was hoping that it would eventually work. It did somewhat, but not as well as I had hoped it would. Initially, time-outs were me holding my child in his “time-out” place, which was usually the chair. That, thank goodness, only lasted a few times. Time-outs were then a series of, “No, you are not done yet. Sit back down.” Obediently, he did this, which was okay. When I became tired of saying this, time-outs were held in his room. Well, okay, this happened one time only and it was a flop.
The time-out session in his room occurred when he was about 4 years old. Not a peep out of him. He just did what I asked and went to his room. About 5 minutes later, I opened the door, “Okay, you can come out now, but first I would like to speak to you about what you did.” His reply, as he held two action figures in mid-air, was, “Mom, can I just have a few more minutes?” That was the end of time-outs in the bedroom.
Time-out sessions were then done on the stairs where I could watch him. He sat dutifully and this did work fairly well. However, shortly after my attempted time-outs I tried something else that worked excellently. I banned him from certain activities that he enjoyed or I took something away. It was not an all day event, but something that fit the situation.
Everyone has to use their own method of discipline, as different types are more effective than others are. Remember that discipline should not hurt the child physically or mentally in an extreme manner. A swat on the hand or a firm talking to will not hurt them. These are reminders that they do not care for. Remember that the punishment should fit the crime. Examine the situation before you carry out the discipline to make sure that you are doing the right thing and not overreacting.
We all love are children and want what is best for them. They all need discipline once in a while to help them to establish what is right and what is wrong behavior. Help your children to understand this. After you discipline them always remember to talk it out, give them a big hug and tell them how much you love them.