The Time Out Chair

From Mommyplace.com WiKI Page

I watched SuperNanny religiously when I was pregnant and I was fascinated by her recommendation to create a Time Out Chair or Stool. I actually was really skeptical that this was an effective means of discipline.

When my son started to act out at about 18 months of age, his Nanny (who in my mind is a Super Nanny) created a Time Out chair for him. She sits him in this small, kid chair, faces it to the wall, and makes him sit there for a few minutes (1 minute when he was younger, closer to 3 minutes now that he's approaching 3 years old). Recommended guidance is 1 minute/year of age. She does not allow him to talk when he's in his chair, unless it's to tell her why he is in a Time Out.

I have to admit, it works...most of the time. My son hates being in his Time Out chair...especially if something is going on (e.g., a friend playing with his toys) while he's there faced to the wall.

Make sure the time out area is one that the child does not associate with playtime. Our daughters need to sit on a stool (otherwise used at the sink) in the bathroom. They are very good about staying put; the bathroom is not the right place for all families.

There are times where the Time Out chair does not work, or where we have to send my son there repeatedly but most of the time it's an effective discipline method and it gives my son a chance to take a break, calm down, and internalize that he did something wrong.

When the Time Out chair does not seem to be working, we send our son to his room. This can initiate a major tantrum but we've found that the time in his room is also an effective way to break a pattern of poor behavior. He hates being sent to his room and it seems to be a good deterrent for bad behavior.