Discipline is a delicate thing parents must enforce firmly. When dealing with one’s child, one must show a strong sense of seriousness. This is particularly true during time-outs.
The best international schools in Manila instill important life lessons upon their students. Admittedly, there are still going to be times when they may forget these and need to be put under time-outs at home to allow them to learn from their mistakes.
Although some parents find this to be a breeze, a few others would also like to know how they can improve on their time-outs. Here are some tips to improve your strategy, as well as some common mistakes to avoid when giving time-outs.
Overusing Time-Out
Although time-out is originally meant for a child to self-reflect, the actual learning begins after the punishment has been imposed. It happens during the fruitful discussion between the two of you. This is when you explain to him what he did wrong so he doesn’t do the behavior anymore, or it might result to more time-outs.
Tips to Remember:
- Give one warning before resorting to time-outs.
- Discuss with your child what he could do better moving forward by reinforcing positive attributes in him.
Threatening to Use Time-Out
According to Erik Fisher, Ph.D., threatening a child instead of taking immediate action, amplifies the problem instead of solving it. This means that you have to follow through with your words—if you tell your child that you are going to give him a time-out after he misbehaves, then you should definitely give him one after he does so.
Tips to Remember:
- Always be prepared to follow through in enforcing necessary time-outs.
- Speak in a firm and serious tone without coming off as loud and emotional.
Yelling at the Child during Time-Out
The biggest problem with yelling is that it gives your child feelings of resentment. There’s a high possibility for him to think that you are just being “mean,” and is less likely to take the chance to actually think that what he did was wrong.
Tips to Remember:
- Make it a point to always stay in a calm demeanor.
- Keep in mind that you are a role model for your child; someone that he could emulate.
Putting Your Child in His or Her Room during Time-Out
The central issue with this is that a child’s room is fun; it’s filled with toys and many other sources of entertainment. Ideally, you should choose a viewable and childproof space that is free of any distractive elements.
Here’s the solution:
- Set a ‘boring’ space for your child to focus on his reflection.
- Position a chair facing a blank wall.
Talking to Your Child during Time-Out
The initial purpose of a time-out is for your child to reflect on his own. The perfect time to open the communication between the two of you is always after the punishment. Many successful parents and parenting experts suggest that you should never come off as a strict lecturer when having such discussions.
Here’s the solution:
- Do not reinforce your child’s search for negative attention.
- Talk to your child when he has settled down.
Key Takeaway
Besides your own home, the best international schools in Manila are great environments for children to build on their values for life.
Whether your child is studying in a progressive school or not, it is crucial for you to have the correct discipline enforced to ensure that he learns from his mistakes by doing time-outs the right way.
