THE FUSE

In theory, time-outs make sense. The goal of a time-out is to remove a child from an environment where unwanted behavior has occurred. The new environment is free of toys and attention from others. The new environment is boring. It is calm and quiet and mimics the emotional state you would like your child to emulate. The goal of a time-out is to provide a child with an opportunity to self-regulate and then return to normal life and their previous environment. In practice, however, successful time-outs are much more challenging and frustrating, particularly with young or strong-willed children.