When do they understand time outs?

Mine are nearly one, but I figured you ladies would know the answer to this one. At about what age is a time out appropriate for a training technique. For example, I am trying to teach mine not to climb up on the fireplace. They look to me before they do it as if to see if I will be consistent about saying no. Then they go for it. After about the third time, I need to do something!

By the way, if there are any other ideas about teaching this and situations like it, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks,

Sheila

 

Mine are nearly one, but I figured you ladies would know the answer to this one. At about what age is a time out appropriate for a training technique. For example, I am trying to teach mine not to climb up on the fireplace. They look to me before they do it as if to see if I will be consistent about saying no. Then they go for it. After about the third time, I need to do something!

By the way, if there are any other ideas about teaching this and situations like it, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks,

Sheila

 

Time outs didn't work for us until they were over 2. At one they don't have the cognative ability to understand cause and effect. What works best is consistancy, and distraction, which results from constant vigiliance.

 

Around 2.

 

For me personally Momma is the one that needs a time out more than the babies hehe. They can frustrate me pretty quickly sometimes so it's better for me to go away for a minute or two. It seems they act up the most when they are in their high chairs. Sometimes I turn them around facing away for a minute until they calm down and stop whatever they're doing. I don't think they understand what time out is yet.

The distraction thing works...I've even seen Joshua use it on Daniel since we started doing it Daniel likes to take every toy away from Joshua so Joshua will hand his brother another toy and get the toy he wants.

 

We started at 18 months. Hannah totally gets it, which is why we use it with her a tad more often. But it works so well, that we rarely have to actually use it; the threat alone works wonders.

Ben still doesn't get it. So because of that, we don't use it as often for him. And he certainly needs it more! Distraction/redirection is the only thing that really works at this point.

 

Thanks everybody!

 

I think each kid is different. My daughter got it quickly but my son is just starting to get it at 3 1/2.

 

my girls know exactly what i mean when i say "stop, or your going to the naughty chair".

normaly the threat alone does the job, ocasionally our little rebel Dakota keeps going, so we send her their for 2 minutes (as she is two years old).

we have been useing the chair since they were about 1 and a half.

 

We use time out and they do know what it means. If I threaten they listen. I think we started around 16 mo.