by Angella Gailey

Created on: December 07, 2011   Last Updated: December 08, 2011

We have all seen it, or, worse, been a part of it; a child and a parent are screaming back and forth at each other, and all anyone is doing is getting madder.  Everyone in the store, park, or even the neighbors, all worry that things are going to escalate out of control.  Whether you are in a store, at a park, or at home, time-out, when used correctly, can be an effective and efficient discipline tool.  Unfotunately, there are those that go overboard with time-outs and it does begin to lose all of its effectiveness. 

Time-outs do not only benefit your children, but they can also benefit the parent.  When you find yourself starting to get so mad that you are beginning to lose control, putting your kid into a time-out, gives you a chance to calm down.  It seperates the two of you, and you will find that it takes you just as long to calm down as it does for your child to learn that they did something wrong.  Once you are both calmed down, you can talk to your child about what they did wrong and how they can make things right.

Time-outs send a clear message that your child has done something wrong.  So many parents jump from one parenting style to another, constantly changing how they discipline.  A child does not know when they have done something wrong if one day they get put in a time-out, the next they get a "talking to," and the next they get spanked.  While you might think that you are sending a clear message, your child is not getting that same message.  Your child will get quickly confused and it might lead to more extreme acting out.

Every adult that interacts can use the same form of discipline, making your child feel more comfortable when they are being babysat or are at daycare.  When a child knows that when they do something wrong, there will be consequences and they know what those consequences are, it makes it easier for that child to adjust to new surroundings, and even new rules.  While you might think it all right for your child to run around your house, your parents probably won't agree.  When your child runs around their house, they will know they are in trouble when they are put in time out.

While you might not always get a chance to tell your child exactly what they did that was wrong when you are yelling at them because you are upset because you have told them one hundred times to stop jumping on the couch, as part of a time-out, you need to tell them. 

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