Is It Good Ito Do This

Updated on July 13, 2011
A.W. asks from Carrollton, TX
11 answers

is it good if i use my toddler cot as time out

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J.D.

answers from Dallas on

I did this with my daughter. It did not affect her psychologically at all! Bed is a place where you rest or calm down. Time out is the same concept. As long as you are calmly applying this method, it's fine. For example, I did not yell at my daughter. I would give her one warning and then calmly pick her up and place her in timeout for the number of minutes she was old set on a timer. Once the time was up, I would go in and discuss why she was in timeout, have her apologize, tell her I love her very much, give her a hug, and move on. It worked very well for us!

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L.F.

answers from San Francisco on

Nope. Separate time out area with bedtime/place they rest. You don't want your child to be afraid of going to bed or think they are in trouble every time they lay down. GL

M

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P.M.

answers from Portland on

If bed is a place you can calmly send a child to calm down and collect herself (a very nice use of the time-out), the bed is fine. If you are banishing a child in anger, she could associate her bed with punishment and isolation, and begin to resist bedtime.

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R.D.

answers from Richmond on

Personally, I'd say no. Same as if you and your SO were fighting... you're never supposed to fight in your bedroom, as that's your 'safe place'.

For all of my kids, I've used the time out stool. Yeah, they get up, that's part of learning, is sticking their butts back on the stool. They need to learn to sit there for their amount of time (1 minute per year of age). I don't think putting a child somewhere they're restrained for time out is a good thing. They feel trapped; which makes them freak out more, which in turn leads to worse behavior... at least that's been my experience.

I'd use the time out stool, the bottom step of the stairs, something like that instead.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Depends.

It was hard giving up the crib because it was my toddler's "safe place" where he would be put on timeout and calm down, and that's what he associated with his bed; calming down. So sleep was a DREAM. Later, his bed became his safe place, but it took a little while to build up that 'rapport' with a new bed.

Other kids associate the place they're sent on timeout as an angry / upset place.

So... in my experience, it's 6 of 1, half a dozen of another.

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K.L.

answers from Redding on

I wouldnt. You dont want them to think they are in trouble everytime you want them to go to bed. Maybe a little chair in his room, or a small rug to sit on would work better.

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S.M.

answers from Dallas on

There will probabaly be very varied answers to this. When my kids were in cribs, I would put them in the crib as a time out if they had to. When they were that young, it wasn't very often, but it was the only safe place I could place them and leave to make the point. Once they were in beds, I would put them in their room...I really love the Love and Logic parenting style. So, I can say to my 3 year old "oh, this is so sad" and take him to his room and he will stay there until I get him. I can also just tell him, "no, that is not acceptable, go to your room" and he'll go. That being said, I can also be in a store, restaurant, etc. and tell him to have a seat, he's in time out and he'll stay. So, it's not always that they need to be in their room, sometimes it's just that they need to stop or be removed from the situation. So I guess I'd say you can use the cot, but if you dont' have to, you may want to reserve the cot for nap times and bed times to it's not associated with anything negative and just do time out in a corner or room. The key is always consistancy, so wherever you choose to put her, you take her back again and again until she stays there.

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S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

My grandson does fine using his toddler bed (converted crib). He also sleeps fine in his bed about 1/2 the time. But he has always slept with an adult about 1/2 the time.

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C.M.

answers from Dallas on

I've found any wall will do. That way they have to stand, arms down and look at a blank wall. Boring and uncomfortable.

I don't know about you, but I'd LOVE someone to give me a timeout to my bed. Ahhhh....nite nite

J.S.

answers from Hartford on

A sleep space shouldn't be used as a time out. A chair or stair would be better.

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K.W.

answers from Seattle on

Sure. I do that all the time. This is especially good for my little one because if she needs a time-out, it's usually because she's exhausted. If her time out is in her bed, she'll fall asleep and feel much better.

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