DD wont stay in timeout

I use timeouts with both my DD and DS (they are 28month old) and DS only gets the occasional timeout (because he is pretty good at following rules and listening) and wherever I put him for timeout he will cry but he stays in that spot. However DD gets usually a few timeouts/day (for hitting, bitting, or not listening), but wherever I put her for timeout (usually near the wall away from us) within a few seconds she gets up and runs away, or slowly starts to crawl away, grabs toys or anything that is nearby, just generally she tries to do anything that she is not suppose to do. As a result I have to stand right next to her during her timeout (I DO NOT show her any emotion or give her any talking attention during these timeouts, if she gets up and runs, I just go and get her and put her back and say "sit-down"). So, I am not getting angry at her or having fun chasing her, I have been very emotion-less during these episodes.

But, it has been about 2months of her not staying in timeout, and I am getting worn down of having to basically give her 1 minute of attention keeping her in timeout - and isn't this rewarding her with attention when I am trying not to give her attention? I should mention that I only put them in timeout for like 1minute at this age.

But, I guess in the end the timeouts are generally working because DD comes out of timeout and she doesn't usually repeat the action that got her into timeout and things are generally calm for a bit. So, will she just eventually grown out of this? Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep her in timeout, or should I just keep doing what I am doing?

 

Logan is bad about this at times. We've done two things and they both seem to have helped. We implemented them at the same time though so I'm not sure which helped most. We lengthened time out for one. It was harder to get him to stay at first, but I think it ended up being worse for him since it was longer. We also started putting him in his room for tantrums. He really doesn't like to not have an audience. If he's misbehaving in time out, we can just say if I get to 3 again you are going to your room.

He's doing great now and rarely gets more than one time out a day. It seems it's Mason's turn now though. We put him in his room for the first time tonight. I do hope it works on him too!

 

That's why I don't do time outs. There's no way my two would stay in one spot, and what am I supposed to do when they both try to move away? Plus I know that it doesn't work for all children.

Sending her to her room might work, although my two would actually be happy about that... No other advice than to keep doing what you're doing here, sorry!

 

I send my two to their rooms for timeouts for that purpose. Lucky, for me right now, my two do not like being put in their room for TO. My two would never stay in a TO spot. I think what you are doing is good, if you are noticing that the behavior is you are putting DD in TO for is reducing, then even though you might have to remind her to stay in TO spot, it's still having it's desired effect.

 

My two sit there in time out and cry.


I should have gotten a time out this morning, I blew up at Royce when I was trying to get them down the stairs.

 

Here are a few ideas (not sure logistically which would work for you guys)
*keep putting her back on the spot and each time you have to put her back the time starts over
*like others suggested...make time out her room (we do this for tantrums)
*block an area in that she can't get out of...baby gates in a hallway.
*use a PNP if she wouldn't climb out.
*when we first started TO's (right before they turned 2), I would strap them into a booster seat that sat on the floor in our dining room.

 

we have that problem also. my girls dont get many time outs because they usually respond to 123, but, for a while i was strapping them into an infant/toddler rocker and making her face the wall. i'm going to try sending to her room next time - great idea.

 

I sympathize. My one dd is so determined and time outs is a full -on fight. She is so determined NOT to stay. Taking her UPSTAIRS to her room is draining on me. The pnp is up there too. The chair idea is good but again, struggling to put her into it doesn't sound fun to me. She is really strong and afterwards my back is killing me. Most days the corner is the easiest option for me and my back.... I think it seems to mostly be a phase that they go through (I'm hoping). Any teething ? Recent changes in the house ?? etc.

Heather