Time-out
commonly used with toddlers and pre-schoolers
One difference noted by many au pairs is that American families use the concept of time-out as a behavior management strategy. Time-out means a child is taking time away from an activity that the parent or au pair found to be dangerous or disruptive. Don’t use a time-out for every misbehavior, only for more serious offenses. Some children are sent to a “quiet time” chair, others to their room. Either way, offer time out as a way of helping the child calm down and gain control of herself again. Don’t interact with the child or give him attention during time-out. The child should be able to come back to the activity or group again when she feels calm. When your host child has cooled off, take a moment to talk about what happened, so the child understands what was wrong about her behavior.
Remember that even three minutes of silent sitting may feel like forever to a three-year old. When using time-out, do not ask the child to sit for a time period longer than her age. For example, a three-year old should not sit in “time-out” for more than three minutes. If you leave the child in time-out for too long, she will forget what happened and why she was sent into time-out.