When kids act out, many parents have strategies to deal with them. While some parents think that punishments like grounding work well, not all parents agree with this kind of response. Every parent has their own ways of doing things in order to teach children a lesson about their behaviour.
Many parents of young children rely on putting kids in ‘time-out’ when they need a break.
Some parents say that time-outs work best for their children when they are acting in a way that is inappropriate or wrong. There has even been some research done to show that time-outs work.
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One mom, however, has found a way that disciplines her son without using the ‘punishment’ method.
One mom says, instead of giving a harsh punishment, such as a time-out, she has found a way to engage him in a productive manner that still allows for him to take a break and calm himself.
Nikki Mullen Cruz shared her story on TikTok and her decision behind “rethinking” time-outs.
For some kids, time-outs are a threat and a punishment that is meant to instill fear. However, Nikki found that giving something that solves the actual problem causing her son to act out works best for her family.
The reason that many kids need a time-out in the first place is because they are acting out and doing something that parents see as ‘wrong.’
Many times, this comes from an abundance of energy that the child has. Therefore, taking a time-out allows them to calm down and get their energy back to an acceptable level.
On TikTok, Nikki said that putting her son in time-out didn’t work.
Nikki told TikTok users that as a mom, she wasn’t comfortable with leaving her son alone with, “… big scary thoughts and feelings.” So, instead she created a “calming corner.”
While the calming corner is similar to taking a time-out, it has more beneficial purposes.
The corner allows her son to reflect on his actions and take time to calm down his feelings, while also stimulating his mind by reading or working through his feelings with other objects.
Nikki also has signs and pictures to help her son work through how he is feeling.
For young kids, being aware of their emotions and understanding them can be a challenge, so Nikki makes sure she has things to help her son understand himself more.
However, there are still consequences for bad behavior.
Nikki told TikTok followers that after her son calms down, she then gives the “consequence” for his bad behavior. Sometimes this is extra chores around the house and other times, she’ll take technology away for an extended period of time.
People online loved this idea and also praised Nikki for being so innovative.
Moms online were glowing at how smart this was and how it can also teach young children how to cope with their emotions in a very healthy way.
