Time-out timer for kids
A common guideline is one minute of time-out per year of age: 3 minutes for a 3-year-old. Pick the age, press Start, and turn the screen so your child can watch the bar fill. A calm chime ends the time-out.
Using time-outs well
- Keep it short. Longer time-outs don't work better, and a minute per year of age is plenty.
- Stay calm and use few words: say what happened and that it's time for a time-out.
- Choose a boring, safe spot without toys or screens.
- When the timer ends, it's over. Move on, and praise the next good behavior.
Parenting advice from pediatric groups, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics' HealthyChildren.org, recommends time-outs as one part of positive discipline, along with plenty of praise and attention for good behavior.
For routines, try the toothbrush timer or the visual classroom timer.
Questions people ask
How long should a time-out be?
A common rule of thumb is one minute per year of age, so 3 minutes for a 3-year-old and 5 for a 5-year-old.
At what age can you start time-outs?
Many parents start around age 2, when children begin to understand simple rules. Keep them very short at first.
What if my child leaves time-out early?
Calmly return them and restart the timer. Staying consistent matters more than the length.