Time Out from Time Out

10/05/2015

Convince yourself every day that you are worthy of a good life. Let go of stress, breathe.
Germany Kent, author

A posting in "The Spoke," a blog of Early Childhood Australia, "What's the Problem with Time-Out, Anyway," lists these effects of time out...

* When a child is excluded from interacting with others (time-out), they are effectively ostracized (isolated from relationship) by those more powerful than them – parents and teachers. Ostracism studies in adult relationships found that excluding people threatens the needs of: self-esteem. If this is the effect on adults, how much greater is the impact of social isolation on children?

* Time-out does not teach social and emotional life skills. When parents or caregivers use their power to put a child in time-out, children learn that this is how to resolve conflict.

* Time-out does not seek to understand the reason for the behavior. When we use time-out to punish a child for misbehaving, we forget to look for the unmet need that led to the behavior.

Contributed by Karma Gahleg, World Forum National Representative from Bhutan

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