cover image Time Out for Children

Time Out for Children

Barbara Albers Hill. Avery Publishing Group, $4.95 (119pp) ISBN 978-0-89529-772-3

Time-out is the name of a popular method of modifying negative behavior. Hill (Baby Tactics) here advises parents of two- to 12-year-olds how and when best to use it. The method, she explains, involves briefly isolating the misbehaving child (about one minute for each year of age) to a boring but safe environment, using a portable timer to signal when time-out is up. Avoiding physical force, the extreme expression of anger and lecturing, the time-out approach allows parents to maintain order and children to hold on to self-esteem. While little is offered here in terms of validating research, Hill writes with authority and fills out her suggestions with ideas for positive reinforcement of good behavior. The text covers how to use time-out at home, in public, in the classroom and with older children who may balk at the idea. The author also includes variations on the time-out theme, describing double time-outs for sibling conflicts and even revealing how to make use of time-out for toys that seem to inspire misbehavior. Of likely use to parents unfamiliar with the time-out approach, this manual may also offer some useful new angles to those who rely on its effectiveness. (Feb.)