• Time-out is most useful for aggressive, harmful or disruptive behavior that cannot be ignored.
  
• Time-out is unnecessary for most temper tantrums.
  
• Time-out is not needed until a child is at least 8 months old and beginning to crawl.
  
• Time-out is rarely needed for children younger than 18 months because they usually respond to verbal disapproval.
  
• The peak age range for using time-out is 2 to 4 years. During these years children respond to action much better than words.
  
  
• A time-out chair

When a chair is designated for time-out, it gives time-out a destination. The chair should be in a boring location, facing a blank wall or a corner. Don't allow your child to take anything with him to time-out, such as a toy, pacifier, security blanket or pet. The child shouldn't be able to see TV or other people from the location. A good chair is a heavy one with side arms. Placed in a corner, such a chair surrounds the child with boundaries, leaves a small space for the legs, and reduces thoughts of escape. Alternatives to chairs are standing in a particular corner, sitting on a particular spot on the floor, or being in a playpen (if the child is not old enough to climb out of it).
Usually the chair is placed in an adjacent hallway or room. Some children younger than 2 years old have separation fears and need the time-out chair (or playpen) to be in the same room as the parent. When you are in the same room as your child, avoid making eye contact with him or her.

• A time-out room
  
  Children who refuse to stay in a time-out chair need to be sent to a time-out room. Confinement to a room is easier to enforce. The room should be one that is safe for the child and contains no valuables. The child's bedroom is often the most convenient and safe place for time-out. Although toys are available in the bedroom, the child does not initially play with them because he or she is upset about being excluded from mainstream activities. Prohibit radio, stereo or video games during time-out in the bedroom. Avoid any room that is dark or scary (such as some basements), contains hot water (bathrooms), or has filing cabinets or bookshelves that could be pulled down on the child.
  
  
• Time-out away from home
  
  Time-out can be effectively used in any setting. In a supermarket, younger children can be put back in the grocery cart and older children may need to stand in a corner. In shopping malls, children can take their time-out sitting on a bench or in a restroom. Sometimes a child needs to be taken to the car and made to sit on the floor of the back seat for the required minutes. If the child is outdoors and misbehaves, you can ask him or her to stand facing a tree. Just be sure in all of these situations that you are right there to ensure your child's safety