What is the best age to start disciplining a child?

Question

Just wondering how soon is too soon for a child to understand a time-out.

Answer 1

From day one, discipline means to teach.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

I think you start disciplining a child right away.

Don't use time outs if you want your child to learn self-control. Time outs are a way for you to control your child, does not teach self-control, and causes resentment, is shaming, and causes anger. Time outs are a form of punishment, not discipline.

Logical and natural consequence is the best forms of discipline. For example, if a child spills his milk, he cleans it. If a child hurts someone, the person does not want to play with them. If a child is throwing a tantrum, they get put into an area until they are ready to calm down. Taking away a toy if the child draws on the wall is not a logical consequences. Taking away a toy if the child throws it or is destructive with it is logical. Let the type of discipline fit the crime.

If a child is misbehaving and a logical or natural consequence cannot work, get to their level and say "I don't' like when you (explain what and why in very few words)" take them gently to and area away from you and say "When you are ready to (listen, behave...) then you can come back. This is not a time out because you are not setting a time limit (you controlling your child). Your child returns when they are ready to control their behavior. It may take several tries. You may have to return your child to the selected area a few times or sit with them until they feel ready.

Set limits and follow through. "No" means "No" the FIRST time you say it. Offer choices. "Do you want to do that by yourself or do you want some help? Do you want pasta or chicken?" Do not offer chances. Be patient and consistent. Good luck!

Answer 4

4 going on 5???? Are you mad? They will be a wild beast by then.

I agree that you start when they understand the concept of "no." I think we started when our daughter was about 18 months old, but we'd put her in her crib when she wasn't listening to "no". Then we moved to time out, mostly to give her a chance to chill out and for us to cool off. Then by about 3 or 3 1/2, we'd take away things she liked...mostly watching Barney or Sesame Street. That just pissed her off, lol.

The only thing we never took away was reading books. She spent a lot of punishments reading. Now at age 13, she reads about 2 books a week on her own. Grin. An unexpected benefit.

2 and 3 sounds young for discipline, but kids are smart. Just because their language skills might not be there, doesn't mean they don't understand. You have to drive home action and conscequences early, or else they will outwit and outsmart you by the time they are 5.

Answer 5

I'd say start at 4 going on 5. Because at 2 they are so innocent but you can always correct them at that age to. So I guess more so start at 2 because they no a little whats right and wrong, but you must also remember that they are still young and can't grasp the concept of discipline just yet. Good Luck

Answer 6

from the day they are born. It is not all about time outs it is teaching them boundaries and right from wrong. It is telling them no you don't need to crawl off the bed and moving them to telling them not to put any thing in the wall socket and moving them on to a new task to taking Way the bottle or boob when the are playing or biting instead of eating to taking the plate away then the throw the mashed peas at you. If you wait until the are 2 or 3 or 4 or later then you have done them a dis service.

Answer 7

I personally believe that a child should learn that no means no as little as possible I don't believe in giving a baby everything he wants so that by the time he turns two he should no that when I say no I mean and I should never have to repeat myself twice. By discipline I hope you don't mean spanking cause that is not a good method I have 3 boys and they are very obedient and I am happy with what i have done.When they are toddlers i punish them in their cribs and later on ina chair ina corner or a separate room start with f minutes of alone time and more if it's necessary.

Answer 8

Sorry............but there is more to discipline than "time out" which is really a stupid concept. There are better ways. Read a good, normal book on child rearing and use it as a guide to fit into your lifestyle and beliefs. Don't forget lots of hugs and understanding.

Answer 9

as soon as they're able to understand NO. Otherwise, putting a very young child in time out would confuse them and could quite possibly make them feel abandoned.

Answer 10

We started doing the time out thing as soon as our daughter had a concept of the word "no". She still is rotten sometimes but she learned the consequences of doing naughty things really quickly.

Answer 11

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